Fresh Challenge: Vets vs Groms
by Freedom Fighter
Summary: 20 cast members from "Total Drama," "6teen," and "Stoked" return for a new competition that puts them in 2 teams. The Vets, made up of competitors from 2010's "Fresh from Canada," and the Groms, made up of those who weren't. Winning team splits the prize!
1. Her Way is the Only Way

**"Fresh Challenge: Vets vs. Groms"**  
><strong>Story Written by Freedom Fighter<strong>

A new year, a new challenge, pitting cast members of "Total Drama," "6teen," and "Stoked" against each other. But this time, one person will not win it all. One team will.

Who will win? Team Vets, made up of people who participated in last year's "Fresh from Canada?" Or Team Groms, which consists of those who... didn't? Let the challenge begin!

**Special Note!**

**MAJOR SPOILERS AHOY FOR:**  
><strong>Shows:<strong> "Total Drama World Tour," "6teen," and Season 1 of "Stoked"  
><strong>Fanfics:<strong> "Fresh from Canada"

**Minor spoilers for:**  
><strong>Show:<strong> Season 2 of "Stoked"  
><strong>Fanfics:<strong> "Where on Earth is Lauren Ridgemount?" and "24 in 24"

You **HAVE** been warned!

**Disclaimer:** All characters are the property of Fresh TV, Inc.

* * *

><p>Florida Keys<p>

A large tour bus was seen making its way south on the Seven Mile Bridge early on a Friday morning, its final destination unknown. Only the driver knew, and he was not planning on telling the occupants, even though they were quite amazed by the architectural structure they were currently going over.

Half an hour later, the bus pulled off of the highway, approximately 20 miles east of Key West. Soon after, it came to a stop, and the occupants were instructed that they would have to walk the rest of the way to their destination.

Courtney of 'Total Drama' was the first to emerge, followed quickly by fellow castmates Trent, Season 1 winner Owen, and Season 3 winner Heather.

"Follow me!" Courtney ordered, heading towards a small signpost directing them towards a path through some nearby trees.

"**WOOOOO!**" shouted Owen, raising his arms triumphantly. "Key West, baby! Yes!"

"I don't think we're in Key West yet," Trent told him.

But Owen was not the only enthusiastic one, as some of the cast of 'Stoked' exited the bus... led by the one and only...

"Bow before me, Florida!" Reef declared. "The Reefster, the reigning champion, is **HERE**!"

"Yeah!" cheered Lo, applauding as she appeared behind him.

Lo got up on her tiptoes and was about to peck Reef on the cheek, but Fin grabbed her and pulled her away.

"**HEY!**"

"That's **NOT** happenin' here!" Fin shouted.

Reef wanted to voice his displeasure, but then he was elbowed aside by Kelly.

"Out of the way!"

She sauntered past, and Reef grumbled under his breath as he followed her. Next off of the bus was yet another excited person in Caitlin, who was the first of the '6teen' contingent.

"**EEEEE!** The Florida Keys are as beautiful as the brochures said!"

"Don't relax too much," cautiously warned Jen. "We're here in a competition, remember?"

"Let her dream," Jonesy said with a smirk. "After all, we know that **I'M** winning this year!"

"We'll see about that!" exclaimed two raspy voices behind them.

The trio turned and saw Darth and Julie stepping off of the bus.

"If anyone's gonna win," Darth declared, "it's us!"

"That's what you think!" fired back Jen.

"**HELP ME!**"

Jen turned and saw Cody running off the bus, terrified. He made a dive towards her, but was stopped short when his pursuer had grabbed him by the legs.

It was, of course, Sierra.

"Cody! Don't run off like that! You know how dangerous the wild can be!"

Sierra dragged Cody away, and Jen saw him pleading for her to help. But she respectfully declined, especially with the look Sierra was shooting at her when she noticed what was transpiring.

Next off of the bus was power couple Geoff and Bridgette... and for once, they were not in the midst of a make-out session.

"We're getting serious this time!" Geoff proclaimed.

"No making out for the next three weeks!" Bridgette exclaimed.

"**WE REFUSE TO GO HOME FIRST!**"

With that, the pair marched off, intending to keep both of those promises. Following them off of the bus was Ripper, who quickly lived up to his name by passing gas right on the spot.

"Ah, that's the stuff! Hey, Ridgemount... you comin'?"

He was referring to Lo's older brother, Ty, who was about to come off of the bus... but was attempting to pull someone along with him.

"You can't spend the next three weeks hiding on the bus!" Ty shouted.

"Oh, yes, I can!"

"Dude!" Ty turned to his friend. "How about an assist?"

Ripper climbed back on board and helped Ty tug the straggler out. Said person turned out to be Wyatt.

"No!" Wyatt shouted. "I'm not ready to see her!"

"You're here!" Ty told him. "You're seeing her!"

Finally, they had extracted him from the bus, and the duo started pushing him down the path after the others.

"I wish I hadn't signed up for **THIS**!" Wyatt yelled.

In the foreground, the game's hostess chuckled as the last of the group headed off to whatever awaited them on the shoreline.

"What was all of **THAT** about? I'm suppose we'll find out soon enough! Join me, Blaineley Stacey Andrews O'Halloran, former co-host of 'Celebrity Manhunt' and ex-competitor on 'Total Drama World Tour,' as these teens fight out in a reality competition we'd like to call, 'Fresh Challenge: Vets vs. Groms!' And this time, there **IS** an 'I' in team!"

Blaineley frowned, then marched off-camera.

"Somebody fire the guy who wrote my intro!"

* * *

><p><em>20 teens, 3 weeks, $300,000 on the line<em>  
><em>And only one team to split the prize<em>

_[Cast Intros]_  
><em>Fin and Lo are in the midst of a staring match<em>  
><em>Trent is trying to teach Ty how to play guitar<em>  
><em>Sierra hugs Cody to the point his face is turning blue<em>  
><em>Jen reaches out to help, but Darth shakes his head<em>  
><em>Owen and Ripper produce fart clouds together...<em>  
><em>And Kelly and Caitlin cover their noses and run away<em>  
><em>Jonesy hands Wyatt a book that says 'How to Score Chicks'<em>  
><em>Courtney chats with Bridgette, even though she looks...<em>  
><em>Over at Geoff, who is giving Julie an autograph<em>  
><em>And Reef snatches a crown off of Heather's head and puts it on his<em>

_The twenty competitors then appeared on a boat in the Atlantic Ocean, approaching the Florida Keys. Blaineley was shown behind the wheel, driving them to their destination._

_[Blaineley]_  
><em>Two teams<em>  
><em>13 challenges<em>  
><em>May the best team win!<em>  
><em>This is 'Fresh Challenge: Vets vs. Groms!'<em>

**-**  
><strong>Fresh Challenge: Vets vs. Groms<br>Episode One - Her Way is the Only Way (06.09.11)**  
><strong>-<strong>

The cast had arrived on the beach, but as their eyes scanned the area, there was no else around. Not even a host.

"Are we in the right place?" asked a confused Caitlin.

"Why don't we ask Miss ex-C.I.T.," suggested Heather, as she glanced over at Courtney.

"Hey!" she defended. "I followed the signs just like we were told!"

"I just hope host dude shows up soon," Reef said, "because I'm ready to defend my title, baby!"

He showed off an Olympic gold medal, which had the words '2010 Winter Olympics Canadian Winner' engraved on it.

"I'm the best that ever was and ever will be! Count on it!"

"I don't remember you being handed a medal at the end of the competition last year!" Trent pointed out.

"How much did it cost ya?" Heather asked. "Ten bucks?"

"**IT'S PRICELESS!**" yelled Reef. "And eighteen fifty, to be exact."

"That was last year, bro!" Geoff said. "It's a whole new ballgame!"

"**HE'S EXACTLY RIGHT!**" a voice shouted of nowhere.

The group's heads turned every which way, trying to figure out the source.

"**UP HERE!**"

Finally, they all set their eyes upward and saw Blaineley parachuting down onto the beach. That was her plan, anyway, but she accidentally steered herself into the ocean, splashing down about 20 feet from the shoreline.

"Is that who I **THINK** it was?" Geoff asked, fearing the worst.

A few seconds later, Blaineley's head popped up out of the water.

"Note to self," she said, "request that the parachute instructor get fired."

* * *

><p>90 minutes later, as the cast started to sweat on the beach, Blaineley appeared before them, having toweled and dried off, changed into a clean dress, and had her hair and make-up redone... just to name a few things.<p>

"Welcome to 'Fresh Challenge: Vets vs. Groms!'" she announced cheerfully.

"I hate her already," grumbled Kelly.

"Why did you keep us waiting?" queried Darth, before pointing to some redness on his left arm. "My skin is highly sensitive!"

"Not my fault you didn't bring enough sunscreen to cover your face!" Blaineley told him.

"You will pay for such an egregious mockery of me!"

Darth reached into his pocket and pulled out his red light saber.

"Rule one..." Blaineley stated.

She reached in and plucked the weapon from Darth's hands before he knew it.

"No weapons!"

Blaineley then saw Lo typing away on her cell phone. The hostess swooped in and took that as well.

"Hey!"

"Rule two! No cell phones, PDAs, et cetera..."

Lo seethed. "You **COULD** have just said please."

Blaineley saw that Lo had typed 'Worst reality host ever,' and she responded to it by chucking the phone into the ocean. Lo was stunned in disbelief.

"Hold on!" Bridgette shouted as she stepped forward to protest. "How are you here? The last time we all saw you, you were working for somebody trying to enshrine a living collection of 'Total Drama' cast members... until we busted you!"

"Meh... work-release program. I've got very **GOOD** lawyers."

"Item one," Courtney cut in, as she was writing on a notepad, "ask what the going rate is on Blaineley's lawyer team..."

"**AND** you've tried to **KILL ME**!" Bridgette stated, point blank. "**TWICE!**"

Everyone on the '6teen' and 'Stoked' casts gasped, and most of them were already contemplating dropping out in fear and/or protest.

"Water under the bridge, honey! Besides..."

Blaineley pointed off to the side, where two police officers were standing, and then down to her left ankle, where a waterproof monitoring bracelet had been snapped on.

"Oh, and rule three? **NO BACKTALK TO THE HOSTESS!** Got it?"

Bridgette grumbled as she crossed her arms over her chest, but acknowledged she understood the rule anyway as she nodded her head.

"And that goes for everyone else, too!"

The group nodded in unison, though most were not happy with the arrangement, despite the security measures put in place.

"Now that we've gone over my rules, let's talk about the competition itself, shall we?"

Blaineley snapped her fingers, and instantly an intern ran in, pushing a cart that had folded T-shirts on them, which were in two colors: red and blue.

"Reef and Owen, step forward!"

The two guys did as they were told.

"You two great champions are the first members of your respective teams!"

"Wait!" Heather interrupted. "I'm a champion, too!"

Blaineley ignored Heather as she pulled one of each shirt off of the cart. She then tossed the blue one at Reef, then the red at Owen.

"Alright!" Reef smiled. "The champ's team captain! The way it should be!"

Blaineley chuckled. "Who said anything about **YOU** being captain?"

"But don't we get to pick our own teams?" asked Owen.

Again, Blaineley laughed. "Who said anything about picking your **OWN** teams?"

"Now I recall why reality shows are scum," uttered Darth.

"For that comment," Blaineley remarked, "you're on the Red Team. And so is braceface."

She threw two red shirts to Darth and Julie.

"You too, surfer boy!"

She was referring to Ripper, who caught the shirt with his face.

"Courtney, Jen, Fin... blue shirts!"

The trio received theirs, then shared a three-way hi-five.

"We rock!" Fin exclaimed.

"Jonesy and Wyatt," Blaineley said to them, "Blue Team!"

"What?" Wyatt gasped, apparently not too pleased.

"Yeah! Team of superstars!" Jonesy cheered jubilantly.

"Caitlin, red shirt!"

"But red clashes with my..."

"Too late!" Blaineley said as she handed it to her and kept walking.

"...hair."

"Ridgemount brats... Lo, blue, Ty, red!"

They took their shirts, but seemed uncomfortable about being on opposite teams.

"Cody, blue! Sierra..."

"**BLUE!**"

"**RED!** Merry Christmas!"

"**WHAT?** Cody-kins and I will not stand for being separa-..."

Too late... Cody was already dancing with his new teammates. Sierra was pulled over to her team by Owen and Ty.

"Let's see..." Blaineley said as she came to a stop.

Only five had not been assigned yet: Bridgette, Geoff, Heather, Kelly, and Trent.

"Can't have two villains on the same team..."

Blaineley handed Heather a blue shirt, then Kelly a red one.

"Villain?" objected Kelly. "I'm not a..."

"Word of advice," suggested Heather. "It works better if you just accept it."

Blaineley had one blue and two red shirts left.

"You're not thinking of separating Geoff and me?" Bridgette asked, half-hopeful and half-disgusted.

The hostess smiled, and replied.

"Wouldn't dream of it."

She tossed the two red shirts to the couple, leaving Trent with the last blue one. They joined their newly-completed teams.

"The teams are now complete," Blaineley said as she turned to the screen, "but can they come together quickly? Find out, right after the break!"

_[End Act One]_

* * *

><p>Both teams had changed into their team shirts and Blaineley began describing the competition in detail.<p>

"This entire competition is team-oriented," she told them. "There are 13 challenges in total. Each of the first 12 awards $25,000 to the winning team. Whichever team completes the 13th and final challenge first, wins the competition and splits their team's pot amongst its remaining members. That means that potentially, a share of $300,000 is up for grabs!"

"A **SHARE** of $300,000?" questioned Heather. "That's **IT**?"

"Oh, trust me. You'll love every penny of it once you see what challenges we have in store for you in this competition! And you won't be splitting it ten ways... because after every challenge, you all get to go to Castoff Beach!"

"What's that?" asked Ty.

"Good question. One member of each team will face off in a do-or-die challenge. The winner gets to return to his or her team; the **LOSER** gets a one-way ticket **OUTTA HERE**!"

A collective audible gasp could be heard from the group.

"And all such challenges are only gal versus gal, or guy versus guy. Let's make the first one feature the girls, and we'll work from there. Oh, and one more thing..."

Blaineley turned to face the team in the blue shirts.

"The Blue Team will be known from this point on as Team Vets, since they are made completely of people who competed in 'Fresh from Canada'..."

And then she looked over at those in the red shirts.

"...while the Red Team is Team Groms... 'cause you're the newbs and all."

"What?" argued Kelly. "I am **NO** grom, you!"

"And I **WAS** on 'Fresh from Canada,'" noted Bridgette.

"Rule **THREE**!" Blaineley harshly struck their arguments down.

Kelly and Bridgette both clammed up.

"Now... onto the first challenge. Why now? Because it makes great TV to send someone off before they've even gotten settled in their new digs."

She pointed out about 200 meters off-shore, where there was a wooden platform floating out in the ocean.

"In today's challenge, the guys will be starting here on shore, with a life preserver tied to their waists via a rope. One at a time, they must swim out to the platform, where the girls will be waiting. One girl will jump into the preserver, and must sit in it as their male partner pulls them back to shore. First team to have its entire team on shore and across the start-finish line, wins!"

Most of the girls were happy to hear all of that, but most of the boys were not.

"You mean we have to do all the work while the betties just sit and look pretty?" questioned Reef, before adding, "Sounds good to me!"

"Ugh!" groaned Fin, before elbowing him in the abs. "Such a pig!"

"Ooh, ooh!" Caitlin raised her hand, asking to speak.

Blaineley rolled her eyes, then nodded.

"We get to choose who rescues us, right?"

"Silly girl. Who said anything about **YOU** picking your rescuer?"

"Is it just me or does she seem like quite the witch?" Julie asked Ripper.

"The ol' betty's not a peach, that's for sure," he replied.

* * *

><p>[Challenge 1: Rescue Mission]<p>

Once the pairings were set and everyone was in position with the proper equipment, the challenge was ready to begin. Though most of the cast decided to ditch the team colors for the challenge, instead dressing down to nothing but their swimsuits.

Reef, for the Vets, and Geoff, for the Groms, stepped up to the start line as their team's respective first legs.

"Prepare to lose to the Reefster," taunted Reef.

"Whatever, bro," Geoff replied in a calm demeanor. "I'm just here to have fun!"

Blaineley raised both arms in the air...

"And... **GO!**"

...and dropped them, and the two ran past her and into the ocean, both heading for the platform. Cheers aplenty could be heard.

"You can do it!" both Lo and Bridgette shouted at their respective boyfriends.

To Reef's surprise, Geoff was staying with him, stroke for stroke. As a result, they both reached the platform simultaneously. Lo jumped into the water, though Fin did not elicit a reaction either way, while Sierra leaped off for the Groms.

"Yeehaw!" squealed Sierra as she held on tight as Geoff started swimming towards shore.

"You can beat them, Reef!" Lo told her partner. "I know you can!"

Using his girlfriend's confidence to power him, Reef increased his speed, just enough for him to start pulling away from Geoff, albeit slightly. Both teams reached shore, and ran in to tag the next person in line. Reef ran past Wyatt, and right behind him was Lo, who tagged him on the hand.

"Go for it, Wyatt!"

"Say wha?"

Wyatt was so stunned after feeling Lo's soft hand brush against his, that he temporarily forgot what was going on around him... even as Geoff and Sierra ran by, the latter tagging Darth as she did.

"Did she just say..."

"**WYATT!**" Heather yelled from out at sea. "**COME HERE, NOW!**"

Heather's screeching snapped Wyatt out of it, and he took off after Darth. Luckily, Darth was one of the weakest male swimmers, if not the worst, so Wyatt was able to catch up to him by the time they got to the platform.

"About time," Heather said, before jumping into the preserver. "Go!"

Wyatt nodded, then started swimming. Darth, with Julie riding behind him, were right on their tail. But not for long, as Wyatt started to pull away... with the help of some motivating words from Heather.

"Stroke! Stroke! C'mon, they should be eating our dust!"

But Wyatt did not even know how far he was ahead until he got back on shore and turned around. Heather ran over the finish line, and Wyatt followed, tagging Trent just as Darth had stood up and turned to help Julie out of the preserver. The two ran in from there and tagged Ty, who had some serious ground to make up.

"Yeah!" Kelly shouted, jumping up excitedly. "Ty's coming!"

Ty closed the deficit somewhat, but was still eight to ten strokes from the platform when Trent arrived and pointed to Fin, leaving Jen and Courtney still waiting.

"Go, Trent and Fin!" both girls cheered.

They headed back just as Ty pulled in. He reluctantly pointed to Kelly, who hopped into her preserver happily.

"See ya later, losers!" she exclaimed, waving goodbye to blondes Bridgette and Caitlin.

"Wha?" Caitlin gasped as she glanced at Bridgette. "We're on the same team!"

Trent and Ty were swimming with all their might, and the latter was continuing to close the gap. But the Vets were still ahead when both teams returned to shore. Trent and Fin tagged Cody; two seconds later, Ty and Kelly tagged Ripper.

"Catch him!" Kelly shouted at Ripper. "He's nothing!"

Ripper picked up where Ty had left off, pulling the Groms closer and closer to the Vets. The gap had shrunk to just under a second upon their arrival at the platform.

"Jen!" Cody shouted at her.

Jen jumped in...

"Uh..." Ripper looked at his two girls, "Bridgette?"

Bridgette slid onto her preserver, and was still getting in position when Cody starting pulling Jen back to sure.

"I know you can do it!" Jen cheered Cody on. "You can do this!"

Ripper and Bridgette gave chase, and they were making up the gap fast. And Cody was starting to get tired.

_[End Act Two]_

* * *

><p>Cody was showing visible signs of exhaustion just about halfway back, while Ripper seemed to be getting stronger as he pulled up alongside of him.<p>

"Dig, Cody!" Jen shouted. "You've got to stay with him!"

Cody was fighting as best he could, but Ripper was too much for him. The Groms took the led for the first time in the challenge and they were pulling away. Ripper and Bridgette reached shore about half a dozen strokes ahead of Cody and Jen. Bridgette was the one to make her team's final tag, sending Owen running for the water.

"**BONZAI!**" he yelled.

He reached the water just as Jen had hopped off of the preserver and had gone to pull Cody up, who was too tired to stand up.

"You better not be giving up," she told him, "because I refuse to give up on you!"

Sierra groaned in displeasure seeing Jen lift Cody to his feet and help him jog the last few feet in. She tagged her stepbrother as they ran over the line.

"Big guy's goin' down!" Jonesy shouted as he headed for the ocean.

Jonesy swam after Owen, and he used his more athletic body to close the gap. A more than one second lead had completely evaporated by the time both guys reached the platform. Courtney and Caitlin got into the water, and soon, the last pairs were heading back. Both teams cheered for their companions to get back first. Owen was using big strokes to make some waves... most of it flinging back at Caitlin, who tried to shield her eyes and hair. But Jonesy was just too fast for him. He and Courtney reached shore first, and they sprinted across the finish line just as Owen and Caitlin were getting out of the water.

Blaineley ran in out of nowhere to make the result official.

"And Team Vets wins!"

The blue team celebrated, with cheers, high-fives, and hugs all around. The red team, on the other hand, was disgusted and upset with the result.

"Team Vets," Blaineley addressed them. "As the winners of the challenge... $25,000 added to your team pot!"

"**YEAH!**" Jonesy yelled. "The Vets rule this beach!"

[Team Vets $25,000 - Team Groms $0]

"Now, as a perk for winning, you must now pick one girl from the Groms to go against one girl from your team, for the right to remain in the game. You've got half an hour to deliberate, so hop to it! Team Groms... go goof off somewhere until we need you."

* * *

><p>The members of Team Vets, now dry and back in their team shirts, had gathered inside a 'secret' tent that had been pitched on the shore, and were beginning their discussion on who to nominate.<p>

"I definitely think we should try to get rid of the strongest first," suggested Jonesy. "That is, as long as we don't get rid of any of the hotties."

"Well," Courtney piped in. "Look no further than Sierra! I've seen the girl in action, and she's definitely a threat."

"I have to agree," Jen concurred. "I mean, what other strong girls do they have? Caitlin's not one, for sure, and neither's Julie."

"How about Kelly?" interjected Lo. "She's just in this for the money!"

"Aren't all of us?" shot back Jonesy.

"I think that betty, Bridgette, is a bigger threat," hinted Reef. "She practically lives in the water!"

"You only don't like her because she's got a boyfriend," countered Fin.

"And she and Geoff **ARE** formidable when they're not trying to kiss each other every five minutes!" Heather revealed. "I second nominating Bridgette."

"So... Sierra or Bridgette," Trent concluded. "Shall we vote?"

One minute later, everyone was seen writing a name on a slip of paper and placing it inside a baseball cap someone had. Wyatt was then picked to count the votes.

"Bridgette, six to four."

Most of the team reacted unfavorably to the results, even though some of them must have helped the vote come out the way it did.

"Fine," relented Courtney. "But I'm not going against her. She's a good friend!"

"And she's one of my idols!" added Fin. "I'm out as well."

Lo then opened her mouth to present her argument, but Heather cut her off.

"Don't even think about it! I nominate putting Lo in."

"What?"

"You're loaded! I don't even know why you're here!"

"Well, Heather, didn't **YOU** just **WIN** a million dollars?"

"That money fell into that volcano, **AND**, might I add, **I** was never compensated for that! Just in case a certain reality host is seeing this!"

"Alejandro **SHOULD** have won that money," Courtney argued. "I nominate putting Heather in the challenge!"

Heather was not happy to hear Courtney throw her under the bus like that. Still...

"You know what, Courtney? Fine! I'll do the challenge! Besides, I like it when **I'M** the one sending someone home!"

* * *

><p>[Castoff Beach]<p>

Blaineley and the two teams had switched locations, moving to a different key, one that was only accessible by boat. Right behind the hostess was a fortune wheel, divided equally into six portions.

"Reef," Blaineley pointed him out, "our defending champion..."

"I'm glad you finally noticed," he said as he flashed his fake gold medal at her.

"Please tell us which Grom the Vets are putting in the challenge, and why."

"Well, we thought 'bout it... and decided that we want Bridgette in the challenge."

Bridgette gasped in shock, while a smile became plastered on Blaineley's face.

"**REALLY?**"

"She's such a force in the water. Couldn't risk it."

"Very well. Reef, tell us who you guys have picked to go up against Bridgette, and why."

"To face Bridgette... we picked Heather."

A lot of gasps came from the Groms. They were completely surprised by the choice.

"Heather's got a knack for taking people out of reality shows," Reef continued, "so we figure... she can do it again."

"Very well," Blaineley accepted the explanations. "Bridgette and Heather, please step forward."

The two girls stepped out of line and walked over to Blaineley.

"I'm pretty sure they're doing 'Aftermath' shows for this too," Heather told Bridgette, "so why not just save us all the trouble and give up now?"

"I still can't forgive you for everything you've done to me and my friends in the past!" Bridgette shouted. "You're finally gonna pay for all of that!"

"Oooooh!" Blaineley squealed happily. "Unfinished business! This should be great for ratings!"

"Just tell us what challenge we're doing so Surfer Girl can catch the first boat ride off this island!" Heather hissed.

Blaineley stepped aside to reveal the fortune wheel.

"Voila!" the hostess said. "Heather, as the representative of the winning team, you get to spin. Whatever it lands on is the challenge you two will undertake. If it lands on the black 'wild card' spot, you get to pick."

The choices on the wheel were '20 Questions,' 'Ascent to Glory,' 'Hang for Your Life,' 'Remember the Sequence,' and 'Tug of Eternity.' Heather grabbed a hold of the wheel and sent it spinning. It went around several times before finally coming to a stop on 'Hang for Your Life.'

"Oh, that's a **GOOD** one!" Blaineley said aloud.

* * *

><p>[Hang for Your Life]<p>

Heather and Bridgette were standing on platforms facing each other, and in between them was a much larger one, which was five feet above them and had numerous rings suspending from it. It looked similar to the one used on 'American Gladiators,' except outdoors. And, of course, the ocean lied below.

Blaineley was standing on the beach with a megaphone in hand, and the other competitors were on either side of her.

"To win and stay in the game," Blaineley explained, "you must do one of two things. Reach your opponent's platform safely - which isn't much fun - **OR** force your opponent to fall into the water below! No punching, kicking, or choking is allowed... anything else goes. And if not engaged with your opponent, you must be moving at all times! Failure to do so will result in a warning, then disqualification! Got it?"

The girls nodded, then turned towards each other, ready to take the other out.

"Ready? Set? **GO!**"

Both sides began cheering as Heather and Bridgette each grabbed the closest ring and swung onto the course. Heather moved as fast as she could, making a beeline for Bridgette. Bridgette, on the other hand, was trying to avoid a confrontation that was not on her terms. But, before she knew it, Heather was two rings away from her. Heather reached for the next ring with her free hand while extending her legs forward to try and grab Bridgette.

And then the unthinkable happened.

The second Heather released her grip on the ring her trailing hand was on, the fingers on the forward ring slipped off.

"**AAAAAHHHHH!**"

And, just like that, Heather was in the water. Everyone was in complete shock. Including Bridgette.

"**WHOA!** Did that **JUST** happen?"

Sure enough, Heather resurfaced, and she herself was in disbelief as well.

"**NO!** This can't be! I... **LOST?**"

Cheers came from not only the Groms, but a few of the Vets as well, as Bridgette raised her free arm in triumph, and then voluntarily let go to fall into the ocean herself.

_Confessional Cam - Blaineley_

_"Bridgette **WON**? Well, that puts a crimp in my plans. On the other hand, Heather the **FIRST OUT**? Word-of-mouth **ALONE** will carry us four or five episodes at least! I can already smell a second-season pick-up."_

* * *

><p>Back on shore, Blaineley made the result official.<p>

"Bridgette, well... you defied the odds and won the challenge. Go rejoin your team!"

"Woo-hoo!" Bridgette shouted enthusiastically as she ran to her team, who greeted her with hugs and high-fives.

"Heather... time to hit the road."

"Ugh," grumbled Heather. "Whatever. Like I cared about winning this stupid game, anyway."

All of the girls on her team were visibly waving Heather off, all with smiles on their faces. Heather stuck her tongue out at them in return, and... that was it.

"So... how do I get home, you?" she asked Blaineley, sternly.

Blaineley pointed down the beach to a small raft.

"**SERIOUSLY?**"

Three interns picked Heather up, and despite her vocal protests, she was carried to the raft, tossed on it, and pushed out to sea. The waves quickly pulled her away from shore.

"**YOU'LL PAY FOR THIS!**" Heather yelled, shaking her fist at Blaineley threateningly.

"One episode down, twelve to go," narrated Blaineley. "Which cast member will we send adrift next week? Find out next time, on 'Fresh Challenge!'"

"**YOU'LL PAY!**"

**End Episode One**

**Author's Notes:**  
>Yes, that just happened! Heather's the first person eliminated, and she was sent adrift at sea, never to be seen again (well, at least some people <strong>HOPE<strong> so). And, yes, that's how everyone's gonna be sent 'home,' so you better cheer on your favorite and hope they don't fall prey to a similar fate! Be here next week when the first guy gets the boot!

**Next up:** Episode 2 - Next Thursday, June 16th, 7 pm EST!


	2. Sick to My Stomach

**"Fresh Challenge: Vets vs. Groms"**  
><strong>Story Written by Freedom Fighter<strong>

So who was shocked about Heather being the first to go? I know I was! This week, get ready to get grossed out... in more ways than one! Enjoy Episode 2! Which guy will be the first out?

**Disclaimer:** All characters are the property of Fresh TV, Inc.

* * *

><p><em>20 teens, 3 weeks, $300,000 on the line<em>  
><em>And only one team to split the prize<em>

_[Blaineley]_  
><em>This is 'Fresh Challenge: Vets vs. Groms!'<em>

**-**  
><strong>Fresh Challenge: Vets vs. Groms<br>Episode Two - Sick to My Stomach (06.16.11)**  
><strong>-<strong>

With Heather set adrift into the Gulf of Mexico, the remaining 19 competitors were driven by bus to Key West, where they were brought to the loft they would be staying in the next three weeks. It was located within the city limits, seven or eight blocks away from the closest access point to the ocean.

"This place is smaller than that building we stayed in last year in Vancouver," noted Cody, as he led the way in.

Upon entering the main hall, Darth turned left, and found himself in one of the house's bedrooms. This one, though, looks like it had been converted from a living room space, and thus, neither of the room's two entrances had a door. Just privacy curtains that had been installed a few days prior to their arrival. In terms of furniture, there were three two-person bunk beds, a pair of dressers, one desk, three chairs, two lamps, and a couple of bean bag seats.

A portion of the group went upstairs, and found two similar sleeping quarters on the second floor. These single-entry rooms did have a door, but in exchange, they were smaller and were absent of any non-bed furniture other than a desk and a lamp. But then Lo ended up finding the biggest bright spot in the house...

A master bedroom with one king-size bed and plenty of open space.

"I know which room I'm sleeping in!" she giggled.

"As if, Ridgemount!" butted in Kelly. "This room's mine!"

"As if if!"

"As the reigning champion," interjected Reef. "The master suite shall be mine!"

"Sorry, honey," Lo told him, "but I'm going to have to disagree with you."

"Ditto," added Kelly.

"Ladies, ladies!" Courtney mediated, "and Reef... there's a fair way to settle this."

"How?"

Courtney thought about it for a second, and then said...

"Oh, Owen!"

Owen appeared next to Courtney.

"It's become apparent that none of the bunk beds are big enough for Owen's massive girth... so the proper thing to do would be to give him the king-size."

"Really?"

Owen wrapped his arms around Courtney and squeezed her in glee.

"That's the nicest thing you've done for me... ever!"

"Ha ha..." she chuckled, "just lookin' out for you, Owen!"

Owen shouted with glee, then ran into the master bedroom with his bags, closing the door shut behind him.

"Trust me," Courtney told them, "it's better this way."

"**CO-ED ROOMS!**" Jonesy shouted from the other end of the hall. "**YEAAUUHH!**"

"No way!" Caitlin exclaimed. "Guys sleeping with girls? Gross!"

"Although I agree with Cait," Jen stated aloud, "we don't have a choice. We have to have at least one co-ed room if everyone's gonna have a bed to sleep in."

"Then I guess me and Lo will volunteer," Reef said with a smirk, as he reached over to his girlfriend and pulled her towards him.

"No way!" shouted Fin, getting in-between the two of them.

"Ah, so you want to sleep with me instead?"

"**NO!**" both girls shouted.

"We've never slept together before," Julie noted, as she grabbed Darth's hand, "but we wouldn't mind going co-ed."

"Geoff and Bridgette!" Cody looked their way. "You guys should be in there!"

"I dunno..." they hesitated.

"And so should I!"

"If Cody's in the co-ed room," Sierra stated, before grabbing him, "then so am I!"

"Uh, on second thought..."

"I'll volunteer," Wyatt raised his hand. "I'm respectful around girls anyway... unlike **SOME** people."

"What's that supposed to mean?" questioned Jonesy, noticing his friend glancing his way.

"We need one more girl," Kelly thought out loud.

She then looked up... and noticed they were all looking at her.

"Fine," she agreed half-heartedly, "but only because I want to."

"Whatever makes you sleep at night," chided Fin.

"The other girls get the last upstairs room," ordered Jen. "The guys can sleep downstairs."

"What?" Reef queried. "Why?"

"Because we've seen the looks on your faces," answered Courtney, "undressing us with your minds!"

"Have no idea what you're talking about, sweet cheeks," noted Jonesy as he put a hand on Courtney's shoulder... and stared at her butt.

Courtney retaliated by socking him in the face.

"I take it... they relaxed the rule about harming other contestants?"

"Yep."

"Figures."

* * *

><p>The next day, the cast was moping around the house, wondering what to do. Well, most of them... almost the entire 'Stoked' cast had gone out early in the morning to try to get to the beach and do some surfing. But they had just returned, all with long faces on as they carried their surfboards in.<p>

"This bites," grumbled Fin. "No decent waves anywhere!"

"They said the coral reefs around here break them up," explained Reef. "What a gyp!"

"At least tell me there were some hotties there," asked Caitlin, who had come down to ask them about their trip.

"If you mean if there were any swimsuit models, then no. Total sausage factory... present company excluded."

"You're just lucky you're so cute," Lo said as she snuggled up to Reef's muscular arm.

Caitlin then noticed Ty was the only one of the guys in the group that had come back without a shirt on. And upon seeing his well-toned stomach, Caitlin melted.

"Wowwwwwww..."

She did a once-over with her hands to make sure she did not have any loose strands of hair, then ran over to Ty to introduce her.

"So I don't think we've been properly introduced," she said to him. "I'm Caitlin."

"Cool," the laid-back Ty responded. "I'm Ty."

"And **I'M** Kelly!" interjected the last 'villain' in the house. "And he's **MY** boyfriend, so back off!"

Ty was speechless as Kelly turned her nose to Caitlin and then pulled him upstairs.

"I've got to be more careful," Caitlin told herself. "The more enemies you have, the harder it is to win these things. As I was told anyways."

"Forget about her," Ripper told her. "She's always got her knickers in a bunch! I'm Ripper, by the way."

"Ripper? How come?"

He demonstrated, and Caitlin instantly regretted asking.

"Oh! Gross!" she exclaimed, covering her nose.

"It's just nature's way of saying you're alive!" he claimed.

"Or that you had rotten eggs for breakfast!"

Caitlin then walked away, trying to find an area of the house that was less toxic than where she was.

_Confessional Cam - Ripper_

_"What? It's not that bad! Besides, like they say... whomever smelt it, dealt it!"_

* * *

><p>Later that afternoon, Wyatt was seen having a friendly conversation about guy things with Jonesy, Ty, Ripper, Cody, Owen, and Trent, when Lo peeked her head in.<p>

"Um, Wyatt?"

"Yeah?"

"Can I speak to you... in private?"

"**OOOOOHHHHHH!**" shouted Jonesy. "Someone's 'bout to **SCORRRRRRRE!**"

"Knock it off, Jonesy," Wyatt said before walking out of the room.

* * *

><p>The pair managed to find a quiet place to chat, which was surprising given how small the house was.<p>

"Let's get this over with," Wyatt said sadly.

Lo took a deep breath, and then began...

_Confessional Cam - Wyatt_

_"So in Vancouver, Lo and I were paired together as teammates. Then, somewhere along the way to the final challenge, I kinda fell in love with her. I was thinking about asking her out, but then Reef went on to win the whole thing! Coincidentally, Lo started dating him not too long after the show ended! Man... and I had to find out about it the hard way."_

"I'm sorry we haven't gotten a chance to talk since your phone call," Lo explained. "But... I've been busy."

"I can see that. I also see that you and Reef are dating now."

"I'm not sure if I'd call it 'dating' quite yet. It's complicated."

Wyatt saw a ray of hope.

"But," Lo quickly shot him back down, "I know we bonded well in Vancouver, but..."

"You just wanna be friends?"

Lo squealed. "So you **DO** understand! Thanks, Wyatt!"

She hugged him, though to Wyatt, it felt pretty meaningless.

"We'll talk more later, k?"

With that, Lo ran off. Wyatt sighed in disappointment. He took a seat on a nearby chair, and shook his head in disbelief. A few seconds later, Jen and Caitlin walked in, the latter holding an unopened container of vanilla ice cream.

"How much did you guys hear?"

"Enough," Jen answered with a sad smile. "Wanna talk about it?"

"And drown your sorrows in ice cream?" added Caitlin.

"Not sure about the latter... but I guess talking's good."

With that, the two girls took a seat and started consoling their friend.

_[End Act One]_

* * *

><p>The sun came up on their glorious third day in the Florida Keys. The 19 remaining competitors were seen putting on their team shirts, psyching themselves up for the challenge, then boarding the bus for parts unknown.<p>

Blaineley greeted them at the location of today's competition. Two tables were set up near her - a small one with two plates on it, and a larger one, with nine dome-covered plates hiding different items of food under them.

"Yum," Owen licked his lips hungrily, "food challenge!"

"On reality shows," commented Ty, "that's usually not a good thing."

"Hope you guys skipped breakfast," Blaineley told the teams, "because lunch is on me!"

"Oh, joy," quipped Courtney sarcastically.

"One at a time, one member from each team will face off in an eating showdown. You'll select one of the nine numbered dishes behind me, and the first person to complete down their portion wins one point for their team! First team to five, or the team with the most points after all nine rounds wins the challenge."

"Do I dare ask what we have to eat?" asked Trent.

"You'll be pleasantly surprised. Some of it is very edible and delicious, such as Key West fave key lime pie! Others are gross and disgusting, like cockroach jello and... well, where's the fun in telling you ahead of time?"

A few uneasy stares were shared between the group.

"Oh, before we begin... Team Groms!"

She turned to look at them.

"Since you guys have one extra member, you must pick someone to sit out this challenge. Who's it gonna be?"

Before any sort of discussion could be started, Kelly raised her hand.

"Enjoy your Brunch of Disgustingness," she commented, "because I'm not having any part of it!"

"The picky eater is willing to starve?" Blaineley said. "Very well! I'll be picking pairings at random. Good luck, everyone!"

* * *

><p>[Challenge 2: Mystery Buffet]<p>

"And it begins!" smirked Blaineley. "Let's start with Jen for the Vets and Geoff for the Groms."

"Good luck!" Bridgette exclaimed, giving her boyfriend a thumbs up.

"Nothing personal," Jen said to Geoff as he stopped next to her, "but I'm taking you down!"

"Whatever's clever, babe," Geoff responded lackadaisically.

Jen seemed a bit perplexed by how relaxed her opponent was, but she kept focused nevertheless.

"Winning team from the last challenge picks first," Blaineley said, "so, Jennifer... pick your poison!"

Jen thought about it for a second, then made her selection.

"Three."

The hostess snapped her fingers, and a female intern grabbed the dome-plated dish and brought it to the table that had been set up in between the two competitors.

"Let's see what you guys are having for lunch!"

She lifted the dome, and underneath were a half-dozen cookies.

"Yum... chocolate chip **AND** cricket cookies!"

Sure enough, the cookies had pieces of both in them. Upon seeing them, Caitlin covered her mouth, nearly puking just at the sight of them.

_Confessional Cam - Sierra_

_"Caitlin's such a lightweight! It makes me wonder why she even signed up for this thing in the first place. Hell... I'm surprised she hasn't walked away already!"_

Blaineley placed three each on the plates in front of Jen and Geoff.

"Eaters, ready?" Blaineley commanded. "**GO!**"

Both dived right in, each devouring their first cookie in two big bites. But even with their teammates cheering them on, the crunchiness of the crickets mixed with the gooeyness of the chocolate chips was an odd mix. Geoff tried to pull ahead by trying to down his second cookie whole... but that would be a mistake, as he nearly gagged it back out.

"Gah!" he yelped.

Jen was wincing as she took three or four bites to down her second, before moving on to the third. Geoff pounded his chest with his fist, trying to force his down. He eventually succeeded, but as he picked up his last cookie, Jen was down to her last bite.

"One more bite!" Courtney shouted at her. "One more bite!"

Jen put the last crunchy morsel in her mouth, and after swallowing, opened her mouth wide to show that it had gone down.

"Point for the Vets!" Blaineley declared.

Jen's team cheered as the brunette was handed a glass of water. Geoff, meanwhile, took the defeat like a man... and spat out what was in his mouth onto the sand.

[Team Vets 1 - Team Groms 0]

"Way to go, girl!" Fin congratulated Jen with a high-five.

"That's my step-sis!" exclaimed Jonesy.

"I see back-to-back Vets victories in our future," boasted Courtney.

* * *

><p>It was Jonesy versus Ty for round two...<p>

"Groms' choice," Blaineley said.

"Okay," Ty nodded, before picking one almost immediately. "Eight."

The dish was brought over, and Blaineley lifted the dome off. Underneath were two smaller baskets, each filled with...

"Six fried conch fritters! A local delicacy, though, admittedly, you chose one of the tamer dishes on the menu."

"This'll be easy..." Jonesy said at first glance...

* * *

><p>"<strong>ACK! KOFF!<strong>"

Jonesy was struggling to down his third fritter, the taste of conch not particularly enjoyable to him. Ty, though...

"Aaaahhhh..." he said, opening wide after finishing his last fritter.

[Team Vets 1 - Team Groms 1]

"That's **MY** man!" shouted Kelly from the sidelines.

Jonesy immediately started brushing his tongue with his hands, trying to get all remnants of his meal off his taste buds.

* * *

><p>Caitlin was clearly afraid of what she was going to be force-fed as she stepped up to take on Fin in round three. Blaineley pointed at Fin to pick a number.<p>

"Five."

The girls were presented with a platter that had razor-thin slices of...

"Roast duckling!"

Caitlin gasped in shock upon hearing this. Fin, on the other hand, just shrugged.

"Eh... probably tastes like chicken."

"No way!" objected Caitlin. "I can't eat baby duck. Or any kind of baby, for that matter!"

Fin shrugged again. "If it makes you feel better, they probably put the ducklings in the pan just **RIGHT AFTER THEY HATCHED!**"

"That's... that's **HORRIBLE!**"

Blaineley signaled for them to begin, and Fin just stood there and smirked as she waited to see if Caitlin would even attempt to eat the meat in front of her. When Caitlin just stood there, staring at the plate for what seemed like forever, Fin casually picked up the slices with her hand and put them in her mouth all at once. She chewed loudly, as if she was mocking Caitlin's refusal to chow down.

Eventually, Fin swallowed it all.

[Team Vets 2 - Team Groms 1]

"Too easy," remarked Fin as she took her glass of water and walked back to her team.

Caitlin returned to her team with her head hanging low and her face buried in her hands, crying loudly. She buried her tears into Bridgette's shirt, one of the few on the team who were not currently mad at her for chickening out so easily.

* * *

><p>"One!" Ripper exclaimed as he made his pick.<p>

Ripper was attempting to even up the score, as he faced off against Trent. Blaineley lifted the dish and presented them with an entire chicken breast... Caribbean jerk style!

"We get actual, normal chicken?" Trent wondered out loud.

Blaineley snickered. "Oh, it's normal. For Caribbeans!"

The breast was cut into even halves and given to the guys for consumption. The hostess gave the signal, and they began ripping into the meat.

"Go, man!" Cody cheered on Trent.

"Show that chicken who's boss!" shouted Ty, for Ripper.

Suddenly, both boys' eyes began to water, and they started fanning their mouths, the spices of their food getting to them.

_Confessional Cam - Trent_

_"A wise man once told me that, when eating spicy food, the trick is to eat it as fast as you can. That way, it doesn't linger on your tongue as long."_

Following those words of advice, Trent kept biting away despite how much his mouth and lips were burning. Ripper saw this and tried to keep pace, determined not to lose this round. But the spicy chicken was not sitting well with his stomach, and eventually he had to let go...

With a huge fart.

Trent managed to down the last of his chicken before the gaseous odor coming from his opponent could reach his nostrils. But once they did, he grabbed his reward water and ran to get as far away as possible.

[Team Vets 3 - Team Groms 1]

Ripper responded by tooting twice more, and then, remember how much his mouth was burning, dropped what was left of the breast, and bolted for the ocean to relieve himself. And letting a few more choice poots out for good measure on the way.

"Oh, God!" Blaineley exclaimed as she put on a gas mask. "Cut to commercial so we can decontaminate... everything! **GAH!**"

_[End Act Two]_

* * *

><p>With the open air cleared of foul odors, the challenge area cleared of crumbs, and Ripper thrown into a port-a-potty to relieve himself in private, it was time to resume the challenge with Courtney and Julie.<p>

"Round five!" announced Blaineley, before pointing at Courtney. "Pick a number!"

She thought about her five choices. She could not bear to look, so she covered her eyes with her right hand and pointed at dish 7. Blaineley presented it, and to Courtney's relief...

"Beavertails!" Reef shouted angrily. "They get beavertails?"

Blaineley gave the signal to begin, and Courtney chomped hastily at her sugar-covered concoction as if she was a competitive eater. Julie munched more normally, but as a result, she had only downed a couple bites by the time Courtney finished the whole thing.

"Yeah, baby!" Courtney rejoiced.

[Team Vets 4 - Team Groms 1]

Courtney then clutched her stomach, which groaned in immense pain. It growled even louder, and Courtney bolted for the port-a-potty.

"Out of my way!"

She reached it just as Ripper was coming out. But she did not care how bad it smelled inside... she needed to go, and badly! Blaineley laughed as she pulled out a bottle of liquid laxative and placed it on the table, to Julie's surprise.

"**AAAAHHHH!**"

"Heh," snickered Julie. "That'll teach her."

"Um," Blaineley pointed out, "you do realize I put this stuff in **BOTH**, right?"

That was quickly confirmed when Julie's stomach began to rumble in the same way as Courtney's. She then glared at the hostess.

"You better hope I don't get a hold of your food," she threatened.

Julie then ran off to take care of her ailment.

* * *

><p>Reef and Bridgette were up in round six, and both were fearful of what remained in the four still-covered dishes that they had to choose from.<p>

"Well, well," the hostess smirked at Bridgette. "One more Vets win, and the challenge is over! Bridgette, your choice..."

Bridgette gulped, then pointed at dish 9, all the way at the end of the row. Blaineley lifted the dome off and revealed six sushi rolls, made Philadelphia-style. Although they did not look all that good.

"Sushi with salmon and cream cheese!"

"S-s-s-salmon?" hesitated Bridgette.

"S-s-s-sushi?" gasped Reef.

"And the best part is... it's been sitting out in the hot sun since yesterday! Bon appétit!"

Reef dug in tentatively, while Bridgette seemed reluctant to pick hers up.

"Just ignore the fact that there's fish!" Geoff shouted at his girl.

"I can't help it! I swim with fish!"

It looked as if Reef had clear sailing to a Vets victory, until, one bite into the second roll... he felt his stomach acting out against him. Before he could do anything about, Reef puked his food back onto his plate. Bridgette instinctively pulled her plate off the table, just in time to keep any of Reef's vomit off of it.

"Ooh, too bad," Blaineley told Reef.

"**MURDER THAT SUSHI!**" Sierra shouted.

Bridgette did not appreciate her teammate's choice of words, but this was indeed her opportunity.

"I'm sorry," she said aloud.

She then put the first roll into her mouth, whole. She seemed to keep apologizing in between bites, up until she swallowed it. She then did the same with the other two. It took about five minutes, but Bridgette finished her plate.

[Team Vets 4 - Team Groms 2]

The instant Blaineley finished declaring her the winner, Bridgette took her glass of water and used it to gargle the remnants and expel them from her mouth. Reef, meanwhile, had crawled to the ocean and was busy throwing up into it.

* * *

><p>Round seven featured Cody and Owen. Cody picked dish 2, and Blaineley presented them with the tamest item on the menu - a slice of key lime pie.<p>

"Can we eat it now?" Owen asked, hopping up and down excitedly.

"Not until I say the word go."

"Say what now?"

"Go!"

Owen inhaled his slice like a vacuum, and downed it just as quickly.

[Team Vets 4 - Team Groms 3]

"**HEY!**" objected Cody.

Owen then set his sights on Cody's slice, and made that delightful treat suffer the same fate as his own.

* * *

><p>"How're we doing?" Courtney asked Jen, a little dazed as she walked back to her team. "And why haven't we clinched this yet?"<p>

Before Jen could give an answer, the call of nature knocked on Courtney's door once again. She ran back towards the port-a-potty.

"Two dishes left," Blaineley stated. "Sierra and Wyatt, you're up!"

"Do it, Wyatt!" cheered Lo, before adding, "so I don't have to!"

"Four or six?" Blaineley asked Sierra.

"Four!"

The hostess brought the dish over, and on this one was a sloppy joe, as well as... a box of rubber gloves? Blaineley sighed, then explained before either competitor had to ask if they had to eat those, too.

"Since touching any part of this sandwich could result in first-degree burns, our legal department will not even let anyone **TOUCH** it unless they're wearing two pairs of gloves."

"Two?" gulped Wyatt.

"Yes, two! You think this show can afford to send people to the hospital?"

"And yet making people go to the bathroom uncontrollably **AND** become nauseated because of food poisoning is okay?"

"Pretty much. Oh, and almost forgot... this is a sloppy joe that has ghost chilies in it."

"Those are the hottest peppers on Earth!" exclaimed Sierra, to the shock and dismay of everyone.

After Blaineley, Wyatt, and Sierra had put two gloves on on each hand, the hostess proceeded to slice the sandwich in half with a knife. She then placed a portion on each competitor's plate.

"You guys can start whenever you're ready," Blaineley said with a sadistic smile on her face.

Wyatt and Sierra took their halves and bit off a small piece each. Unfortunately, just the sauce touching their lips was enough to send the alarms in both their brains blaring. Their tongues and lips felt as if they were on fire, they started sweating profusely, and they were coughing incessantly.

"Water..." gasped Wyatt.

"So... hot..." gagged Sierra.

They both dropped their sandwiches onto the table and ran for the ocean. As a result, no points were scored this round.

[Team Vets 4 - Team Groms 3]

"It can't be **THAT** hot," Blaineley rolled her eyes in disbelief.

She then picked a piece off, arguably one bigger than either of the ones Wyatt or Sierra took, and put it in her mouth.

"I do believe that's the stupidest thing she's ever done," commented Geoff, which got a laugh from several members of both teams.

Sure enough, less than the time it takes to snap your fingers, Blaineley was being subject to the same painful sensations as the others. She quickly picked up a glass of water and downed it... but that was not nearly enough to provide relief. In disgust, she overturned the table, revealing the last dish to be the green jello cockroach shots, and Blaineley ran screaming towards the ocean, everyone laughing as she went and dunked her entire face into the water.

* * *

><p>Half an hour later, Wyatt was sitting on the beach with a bag half full of ice being held up against his face. Jen was squatting to his left, preparing a fresh bag for him, while to his right, Lo was kneeling by him with what was left of a full glass of milk.<p>

"Thanks, girls!" Wyatt told them. "I really appreciate it."

Wyatt seemed more thankful for Lo's help, but before he could act on his feelings.

"You're a nice guy, but..."

"I know," Wyatt cut Lo off, "you're not into me."

"Guys!" Trent shouted. "We won!"

"What?" Jen asked.

"Blaineley's in the infirmary, and the producers said they don't have a contingency plan in case of a tiebreaker. So they claimed our team the winners and told us to pick a guy from each team for the Castoff Beach challenge."

[Team Vets $50,000 - Team Groms $0]

"You mean..." Lo squealed excitedly. "I don't have to eat anything disgusting! **YES!**"

In her jubilation, she wrapped her arms around Wyatt and hugged him. A few seconds later, she realized what she was doing and let go, and spotted Wyatt's smiling face.

"For someone who already has a BF," noted Jen, "you sure like sending Wyatt mixed signals."

"**SHUT UP!**" Lo yelled, blushing.

* * *

><p>Team Vets began their deliberations, minus Courtney, who was still... preoccupied.<p>

"So which sucker are we gonna throw into the fire?" Reef asked, as he rubbed his hands together as if he were a megalomaniac.

"May I suggest Ripper?" Trent spoke up. "Dude's a nice guy, but... man! He reeks."

"He's just being a dude!" argued Jonesy. "Dudes fart!"

"Have you ever **SMELT** him?" Jen countered, before raising her hand in agreement. "Second!"

"Well, what about Owen? The big guy's a walking gas chamber! And a vacuum. You saw how he wiped the floor with Cody!"

"**HEY!**"

"At least he's apologetic about passing gas," Lo noted. "Ripper... just rips."

"Fine," grunted Jonesy. "We'll put in Ripper."

"Glad you thought of it," Reef said with a smile. "'Cause I was thinking... you should be the one to take him on."

"What? Why?"

"Because we need someone we **KNOW** can take him out!" Fin exclaimed.

Jonesy smiled at Fin's glowing assessment.

"Well... if **YOU** think I can do it, babe... then I'm in!"

"Don't call me babe."

"Fin it is, then!"

* * *

><p>[Castoff Beach]<p>

It was time for the elimination. Blaineley was back in action, with a gallon of milk in hand, of which she had consumed a third of already, and the wheel was behind her. Both teams were there in their entirety as well.

"Jen," Blaineley looked her way, "which male Grom is going in the challenge and why?"

"Ripper," she replied, "because... because..."

"**YOU REEK!**" Courtney cut in.

"I take offense to that!" Ripper objected. "I actually bathed today!"

"Whatever," Blaineley said, shaking her head. "Which Vet is facing him, Jen?"

"Jonesy!" she replied, pointing out her stepbrother. "Because we know he can get the job done."

"Good. Jonesy, Ripper, step forward! Jonesy, you've got the wheel."

The two guys came up, and Jonesy went to the wheel and spun it. It would come to a stop on '20 Questions.'

* * *

><p>[20 Questions]<p>

Blaineley explained the rules to the two of them.

"This works exactly like the game of the same name. You two will alternate asking questions, trying to identify one of your fellow competitors. You can **ONLY** ask questions, and they all must have a yes or no answer. The game ends when somebody makes a guess. If you're right, your opponent goes home, but if you're **WRONG**, you do. So make sure you've got the right person. Got it?"

"Gotcha!" Ripper nodded.

"Jonesy, you have the choice of going first or second."

Jonesy was not sure, but then he saw Jen holding up two fingers.

"Second."

"Very well. Ripper, you're up."

"Alright. Is the person a sheila?"

"If you mean is the person is female... yes. Jonesy?"

"Let me think... is she at least a C-cup?"

Blaineley was a little weirded out by the question, and it seemed to offend most of the girls.

"Um... no. Ripper?"

"Is she a surfer?"

"No."

"Is it someone I'd like to see in a two-piece?"

"Um... I'm... not sure? How 'bout some straight-forward questions, you?"

"My turn," Ripper interrupted. "Is the lass on my team?"

"Yes. Yes she is."

"Have I ever seen her naked?"

"**NO!**"

"**JONESY!**" screamed Jen, before quickly covering her mouth with her hands.

Courtney and Fin shot Jen odd looks, but before either could inquire, Courtney's stomach rumbled loudly once again.

"**DAMN IT!**"

As Courtney ran off, Ripper asked his next question.

"Is she a blonde?"

"Yes."

"Ooh!" Jonesy exclaimed. "Is it Caitlin? It's Caitlin, right?"

Blaineley sighed. "Yes, it's Caitlin! And thank God... I'm not sure if I could go another inappropriate question before slapping you!"

"It's a gift," Jonesy said with a smile.

He then strolled back towards his team, and seemed happy enough... before he came face-to-face with the glares on the girls' faces.

"What?"

As Jen, Lo, and Fin proceeded to beat Jonesy to a pulp, Ripper waved goodbye to his teammates.

"Sorry, mates," he apologized. "Wished I could've done better."

"You should be missed, friend!" Owen told him, running over to give him a big hug.

But before he could reach him, the interns cut Owen off, grabbed Ripper, and threw him on the exile boat. He was then pushed off into the sea, presumably to never be seen, heard, or smelt again.

"At least with him gone I can finally breathe easier," Blaineley stated literally. "Anyway, which lucky sucker will we send adrift forever next week? Find out next time, on 'Fresh Challenge!'"

Ripper drifted off into the sunset, but not before letting out one final Earth-shaking toot to remember him by.

"Aw, yeah, that's the stuff!"

**End Episode Two**

**Author's Notes:**  
>And there goes Ripper! His flatulence will not be missed.<p>

I figured some follow-up on the whole Wyatt/Lo relationship was needed... but if you think this is the last you'll hear about it, you're kidding it yourself. And it's not the only odd coupling that will rear its ugly head this season. There's plenty...

**Next up:** Episode 3 - Next Thursday, June 23rd, 7 pm EST!


	3. You're as Cold as Ice

**"Fresh Challenge: Vets vs. Groms"**  
><strong>Story Written by Freedom Fighter<strong>

Time for episode three! Who's going home this week?

**Disclaimer:** All characters are the property of Fresh TV, Inc.

* * *

><p><em>20 teens, 3 weeks, $300,000 on the line<em>  
><em>And only one team to split the prize<em>

_[Blaineley]_  
><em>This is 'Fresh Challenge: Vets vs. Groms!'<em>

**-**  
><strong>Fresh Challenge: Vets vs. Groms<br>Episode Three - You're as Cold as Ice (06.23.11)**  
><strong>-<strong>

That night, the house smelled a little bit better with Ripper's exit. But Courtney and Julie were doing their darndest to make up for it, as even several hours later, they were still making trips to and from the bathroom. But they were not the only ones still suffering, as Sierra had procured her own gallon jug of milk and was constantly refilling her glass, while Reef was lying on the couch with a trash can nearby, in case he had to puke again.

"I'm really starting to have second thoughts about being here," Caitlin said aloud, chatting with Jen. "Nikki might've been right after all."

"It's only day three," Jen told her. "Besides, it's too late to turn back now. We're already here."

"Easy for you to say! You've done this before!"

"It's not that bad."

The sound of Reef puking could be heard, followed immediately by a scream from... Jonesy?

"Dude! This is my favorite shirt!"

"It's not that bad," Jen repeated herself, before adding, "for you!"

"Yeah, right, Jen! Look at who's on your team! You've got Jonesy and Reef and Courtney and Reef and Wyatt and Fin and Reef!"

"Funny. I don't quite remember there being so many guys named Reef on our team."

"And look who's on my team! Absolutely nobody!"

"What about Owen?"

"What about him?"

Jen sighed. "Okay, what about Ty?"

"Kelly's already got her claws in him."

"That's not what I was referring to. How about Sierra? Bridgette? Geoff?"

Caitlin pointed to Sierra, who was trying to force feed Cody baby food for some odd reason, and then Bridgette and Geoff, who were doing everything into their power to resist the temptation to make out right there and then even as they stared into each others' eyes.

"It's like half the people already hooked up before we even got here! Every guy here I'd consider dateable is already spoken for! Particularly Reef. He has two girls after him!"

"I'm **NOT** into Reef!" Fin shouted at Caitlin as she walked by them, having overheard that part of the conversation.

_Confessional Cam - Caitlin_

_"She's SO into him."_

"Please don't tell me the sole reason you decided to come onto this show was to find a new boyfriend!" Jen said, exasperated.

"I'm not shallow if I say yes, right?"

Meanwhile, Fin had walked over to check on Reef, but was not happy to see Lo there already, trying to comfort him by patting him on the back.

"Ugh," Reef groaned, "I haven't felt this bad after eating since the last time I tried to eat something from the minibar at the staff house!"

"It's okay," Lo told him. "Surely all of it has left your system by now!"

She then looked up and saw Fin staring at them... and she smiled.

"Fin! Great timing!"

"For... what?"

Lo got up from the couch and pulled Fin away from Reef, where he could not hear them.

"Could you be a dear and get a new trash bag? This one's starting to smell nasty!"

"Excuse me? Do I look like a maid?"

"Well, you **DO** have a lot more experience than me."

"And what's **THAT** supposed to mean?"

"You just want me to do it myself so you can have some alone time with Reef!"

"How dare you accuse of something that's entirely untrue?"

"Then why's your face red?"

"Because I'm angry at you, that's why!"

The two girls glared angrily at each other. Little did they know that Kelly was watching them.

_Confessional Cam - Kelly_

_"It's been a couple days since Heather left, but she's right. If I'm the villain, then it's time I start acting like one."_

Kelly found Julie lying on the front steps, holding her stomach in pain. Darth was by her, trying to give some support.

"Hey... you," greeted Kelly, not completely sure of their names.

Kelly had two 20-ounce bottles of spring water in hand, which she showed off by shaking them above Julie's head.

"I heard the cure for laxatives is to drink plenty of water!"

Julie reached up to grab the bottles, but Kelly pulled them away. Darth motioned to pull out his light saber and stick it in Kelly's face in a threatening manner... but then he remembered that it had been confiscated by Blaineley. He decided to say what he was going to anyway, minus his weapon.

"State your business, or leave us, temptress!"

"Ha ha!" laughed Kelly. "Temptress? That's a good one. I'm just trying to make a deal!"

"What kind of deal?"

"It's simple, really. I'll give you these water bottles, and I'm willing to run to store to get more, if your girlfriend needs it."

"What's the catch?"

Kelly leaned in and whispered it to Darth. He then told Julie in the same manner. Out of desperation, Julie nodded in approval.

"Very well. But I warn you, vile one! Cross us, and you will pay!"

"Oh, that'll never happen. There's only one person here I have it out for... heh heh."

* * *

><p>The next day, a small group that included Trent, Cody, Sierra, Jen, Caitlin, Jonesy, and Wyatt had decided to head down to the beach to do a little swimming... and to get away from the house. The boys had gotten a head start, as they all jumped into the ocean. As for the girls...<p>

"You sure?" Jen asked.

"Uh huh," nodded Caitlin, who had set up an umbrella and a towel to lie in. "There's a cute boy out there, and I'm going to make sure he finds me!"

"Just don't stay out in the sun too long, okay?"

With that, Jen followed Sierra into the ocean. Caitlin sighed in peace, then lied down, putting herself on display for all those around to see. Particularly...

"What do you think of Caitlin?" Trent curiously asked Cody. "You think she's cute?"

Cody shrugged. "She's alright, I guess. She's no Gwen, though."

"**GWEN?**"

Cody hid himself by going underwater, as an enraged Sierra swam over, searching for her.

"Where is he?" she asked Trent. "Doesn't Cody know that a certain girl-who-must-never-been-named is not allowed to be spoken in our house?"

"You must've misheard us," Trent covered for Cody. "We said Jen. **JEN!**"

Upon hearing that, Sierra calmed down.

"Oh. My mistake."

Sierra swam away, and once she was out of hearing range, Trent reached down and pulled Cody back up to the surface. He came up spitting out seawater and gasping for air.

"Weren't you gonna tell her you're not interested?" Trent asked Cody.

"Not if I want to live to see my 20s!"

* * *

><p>Back at the house, Fin nearly walked in on Lo chatting with Courtney in the bedroom. She hid around the corner and tried to eavesdrop on their conversation.<p>

"Never thought I'd see this side of you," somebody said behind her.

Fin turned around saw Kelly standing there, with a smirk on her face.

"It's not what I looks like, I swear!"

"Oh, I think it is!"

Fin sighed, then let Kelly in on her thoughts.

"Look. I can't believe I'm saying this... but I want you to promise me something."

"Depends."

Fin started walking away. "You don't wanna hear it? I guess I can find some **OTHER** chump."

"Wait!"

Fin stopped, then turned around to face Kelly.

"I'm not a chump, but... what do you want me to promise?"

"I want you to make sure that if, for whatever reason, Lo gets me sent home after the next challenge... that you'll make sure she's the next to go!"

"But... aren't the two of you friends?"

"Friends? Not with the way that she's slobbering over that pig, Reef. Which, FYI, doesn't bother me in the least! I just don't think she belongs here. Got it?"

Kelly nodded in agreement.

"Good. Hopefully it won't come to that, but I **SWEAR** I'm not leaving this house until she does!"

Fin reached the stairs and headed down, not catching sight of Kelly rubbing her hands together maniacally.

_[End Act One]_

* * *

><p>The next morning, the teams received information regarding their next challenge, via a message taped to the inside of the front door. It had been found by Ty and Wyatt, and the former opened it and read it aloud.<p>

"Challenge today, be ready to go at 11. Wear your team colors and your swimsuits."

"Guess it's back to the competition again. Good luck, man."

"Hey, you too, bro!"

* * *

><p>Later that morning, the competitors arrived at the location of today's challenge. They separated into their two teams and filed in on either side of Blaineley, who was standing with two cubes behind her, both resting on a crate-like platform and covered by a tarp. A number of electric cords were seen running out of the bottom of them, connected to one of two surge protectors, each of which was plugged into a portable electric generator.<p>

"Time for today's challenge, everyone!" Blaineley said. "Who's excited?"

The answer? Pretty much no one. The hostess was not pleased.

"Fine. Let's just get this over with."

She clapped her hands, and a swarm of interns ran past the cast and to the tarps. They quickly removed it, and underneath were two very large ice blocks.

"I've never seen ice cubes this big!" noted the easily amused Caitlin.

"It is possible with the right equipment," Darth began to explain, "like..."

"Nobody cares," Blaineley interrupted.

"Is that..." squinted Trent as he peered into the ice, "a suitcase?"

"You'd find out **IF YOU JUST LET ME EXPLAIN THE CHALLENGE**!"

Trent went quiet, knowing it was wise not to get on Blaineley's bad side.

"The objective of this challenge is to get to that suitcase, open it, and show me the contents. First team to do so, wins!"

"We get tools or something to break it?" Fin questioned.

Blaineley started laughing with glee. Fin frowned upon getting her answer.

"Shoulda figured."

"The only tool you can use... are your rumps!"

"Pardon?" a confused Owen asked.

"You have to sit on the ice and melt it enough so that you can reach the suitcase."

"But we could get frostbite!" argued Lo.

"Don't care, and neither should you. Oh, and one more thing! At least two people from your team must have their rears plopped on the ice at all times! If I catch you violating this rule, the entire team must get off of the block, and won't be allowed to touch it for an entire minute. Got it?"

Everyone nodded.

"Good. I'll give you a few minutes to plan or something, and then, it's time for you to... **CHILL OUT, MAN!**"

The entire cast groaned in disgust.

* * *

><p>The Groms had quickly latched onto Darth to formulate a winning plan...<p>

"It's so simple even a monkey can't screw it up!" he told his team. "The more bodies we have on the block, the faster it melts! To get a jump on them, we're all gonna sit on the ice. Everyone just make sure to stay on as long as possible! We'll then rotate when needed."

His teammates all nodded in agreement. As for the Vets...

"How come **SHE** gets to form the plan?" Reef asked, irate, pointing at Courtney.

"You got a better one, Sherlock?" Fin shot at him.

"Don't yell at him like that!" Lo shouted at her.

"If we rotate in five-minute intervals," Courtney explained to those willing to listen, "we lessen the risk of anyone's legs freezing up. Literally. We'll do it in trios. Me, Trent, and Cody will have the first shift."

"Wouldn't it be more effective to do more than three people at a time?" questioned Jen.

"Excuse me, Jen, but you wanted me to do the strategizing. **SO LET ME DO IT ALREADY!**"

"Gee. Just trying to help!"

* * *

><p>[Challenge 3: Cold Seat]<p>

"And... **SIT!**"

Cody, Courtney, and Trent parked themselves on the Vets' giant cube, while the Groms decided to start with everyone sitting on theirs.

"Vets only giving a third of the effort of the Groms?" queried Blaineley. "I'm sorely disappointed!"

"All p-p-p-part of our p-p-p-plan!" chattered Courtney.

"I don't see why **I** have to be on the same shift as Fin!" shouted an exasperated Lo.

"I'm here to make sure you don't chicken out!" Fin shot back.

"This has nothing to do with chickens! It's a giant ice cube!"

"You guys **DO** realize we're **ALL** on the same team," Wyatt reminded them.

"Tell **HER** that!" the two girls shouted, pointing at each other.

"Dude," Jonesy said to Reef, "control your girlfriends, dude!"

"Don't tell me what to do!" Reef shouted back.

As the Vets argued loudly at each other, the Groms were smiling as they sat on their ice. That is, until unexpectedly, both Caitlin and Kelly stood up.

"Sorry," Caitlin apologized, "but my butt's getting cold!"

"And if you think I'm gonna sit on that thing for a couple of hours..." grumbled Kelly.

"But what about the challenge?" Owen asked.

"It hasn't even been a minute!" Geoff told them.

"Not worth freezing for!" Kelly stated, stomping her foot in protest.

_Confessional Cam - Ty_

_"I don't want to say anything bad about the girls on our team... but, man, do we have some slackers! I wish we had one of the girls from the Vets... they seem to have their act together."_

The Vets were rotating people off and on the cube. Cody had already been replaced by Reef, and Trent had gotten down as well, but Courtney was waiting for Fin and Lo to climb up and take their spots.

"You go first!"

"No, you!"

"You!"

"You!"

"**WILL YOU BOTH GET UP HERE ALREADY?**" screeched Courtney.

"Forget them," Jen said. "I'll take your place!"

"No!" Courtney shouted just as Jen tried to get on. "I'm not deviating from the plan! **THE GROUPS MUST STAY AS DESIGNED!**"

"But I'm trying to help us win! Besides, if you stay up there much longer..."

"Don't tell me what to do, Jen! You told me to make the game plan! So you have to do what **I** want you to! And I say... Fin and Lo should be up here, not you!"

"And **I** say winning this challenge is more important than sticking to **YOUR GODDAMN PLAN**!"

"I knew this wasn't going to work," Trent said to Cody. "Look at our team!"

"What team?" Wyatt asked him worriedly. "Two-thirds of it wants to rip each others' heads off."

The Groms, meanwhile, continued to work with their plan, despite the refusal of Caitlin and Kelly to help.

"They're self-destructing," observed Darth cheerily, "like the pilots of the Dark Side, trying to decide who the one is that gets to shoot down the Rebel Alliance's ace! And then the hero goes and blasts all of them, anyway!"

"I've got no idea what you're talking about, dude," Geoff told him.

"I can't feel my legs, guys!" Owen admitted. "Or my butt."

"I can still feel mine!" Sierra exclaimed.

She then started sliding back and forth, rubbing her butt on the ice.

"**AND IT FEELS GOOD!**"

"I swear," Julie told Darth, "that she's completely mental."

"Something is wrong with the Force in her, that's for sure."

_Confessional Cam - Sierra_

_"The sooner this challenge ends, the less Cody has to suffer! Have you **SEEN** his butt-cheeks? Those tiny little things can't stand prolonged exposure to sub-freezing temperatures! If only my arms were long enough to reach over so I could massage them with my hands to keep them warm!"_

* * *

><p>30 minutes into the challenge...<p>

Team Vets seemed to have worked out their issues, for the moment, and they were rotating on and off in trios as originally planned. Their cube was shrinking fairly evenly. Unfortunately, they were still a bit behind Team Groms. They were no longer sitting on their cube en masse, and now had moved into what basically amounted to sitting on the cube whenever they felt like it. Of course, they were making sure to follow the rules and have at least two people sitting on it at all times.

But those two people did not include Caitlin or Kelly, both of whom were lying on the beach, sunbathing.

"You girls **COULD** help," Bridgette lightly scolded them.

"No can do," Kelly told her. "If I stop tanning, it'll be uneven! And that would be an atrocity to the world!"

"You're an atro-" Julie started to say as she walked up, but Bridgette acted quickly and covered her mouth.

"What was that?" Kelly said as she sat up.

"Nothing!" Bridgette said, covering for Julie. "You just go ahead and finish your tan."

Kelly smiled, then lied back down. At the same time, Caitlin sat up to present her excuse.

"You know I can't sit on that ice! The cold stings, and it makes my legs blue!"

"I know!" Bridgette exclaimed, pointing out that her and Julie's legs were a little on the bluish side.

"Plus," Caitlin added, as she fanned herself with her hand, "I'm sure it's hot enough for it to melt on its own."

"That would take all day!" Julie told her.

"Somebody help!" Geoff shouted. "We can't get the big guy out!"

Geoff and Darth were attempting to pull Owen out of the big hole he had made in the cube, as a result of being the only person to have not gotten up from it since the start. Ty and Sierra, both of whom were sitting on the ice, tried to help without getting up.

"I know somebody told me one day I wouldn't be able to feel my legs," Owen chuckled, "but I never imagined it would be this hilarious!"

"Ever consider dieting?" Ty asked politely, even as he was straining.

"I try, but when a 24-ounce steak calls, you gotta go for it!"

"This is getting us nowhere!" screamed Sierra.

Bridgette and Julie went over to try and help, but before they could reach Owen, the group had already pulled Owen out of his hole. In doing so, though, Ty and Sierra had to get to their feet to help provide the necessary force.

Unfortunately, Blaineley decided to blow her whistle to let them know of their violation.

"You know the rules," she said to them. "One-minute penalty, and the clock doesn't start until all of you are **NOT** touching the ice!"

Owen was pushed off of the side, falling to the ground and nearly taking Bridgette and Julie with him, both of whom screamed in fright after the near miss. As the Groms worked to get off of their cube, the Vets were in the midst of another rotation, as Jonesy, Jen, and Wyatt took the place of Reef, Fin, and Lo.

"That's it!" Lo declared. "I can't even feel my legs! I'm out!"

"Just like a spoiled brat to quit when things get tough," commented Fin.

"**WHAT?**"

"**YOU HEARD ME!**"

"Will you two quit it?" Reef said, getting in between the two of them. "You're making a scene!"

"Tell your princess to stop acting like a goober!" Fin exclaimed.

"Yeah? Reef, tell Fin to stop trying to hit on you!"

"As if! You still think I have feelings for this goon!"

"I'm right here, you know!" objected Reef.

"Everyone knows you wish you're the one he liked! Well, tough! He's mine, and nothing you do or say will change that! So, get a life!"

"Oh, no... you did **NOT** just tell me to get a life!"

"Then you'd better knock all the sand out of your ears, because I just did!"

"That's it!" Fin yelled. "I'm not going to stand here a second more and be insulted by everyone's little angel! I quit!"

"Oh, yeah? You can't quit, because I already did! Firsties!"

"Ugh! You're so annoying!"

Fin marched off in one direction, while, after huffing in disgust, Lo trotted off the opposite way. Courtney started yelling at them to return.

"Fin! Lo! I **DEMAND** the two of you get back here this instant! Fin! Lo! I will throw you BOTH into the elimination challenge!"

"Oh, go blow it out your b-hole!" Fin loudly shouted back.

Courtney gasped.

"Yeah, this is going well," quipped Jen sarcastically.

_[End Act Two]_

* * *

><p>"Forget those two losers," commented Courtney aloud as she turned to the rest of her team. "We still have a challenge to win, and we'll do so... with <strong>OR<strong> without them!"

"But how?" questioned Wyatt. "Reef lost both of his partners, and we need two people on here at all times!"

Courtney turned to Reef. "Get them back here... **NOW!**"

"Why do I have to get them?"

"Your partners, your responsibility!"

"We don't have time for this!" Jen said aloud. "We're not going to win this challenge unless we change the plan!"

"I told you, **I WILL NOT DEVIATE FROM THE PLAN!**"

"Hey, stepsis," Jonesy thought aloud as he looked at Jen, "it **IS** Courtney's plan, right?"

"Have you not been paying attention?" Jen shot back. "Yes, it's **HER** plan!"

"So, if we were to lose this challenge... we could use that against her and push for her to be voted onto Castoff Beach?"

Jen brightened up.

"You know what, Jonesy? You may actually be right! For once."

"Hey!"

"I'm sure Jonesy and I could convince Caitlin and a few of the other Groms to vote you in."

"Why would you do that?" asked Courtney. "The surfer girls are the ones who abandoned us!"

"Jen's got a point," Trent said in agreement. "If we don't change our plan, we're sure to lose!"

Courtney thought about it for a minute, and concurred with their observations.

"Alright, fine. We'll change the plan!"

"See?" Jen smirked. "Was **THAT** so hard to do?"

"Reef, Trent, and Cody. We're **ALL** getting back on that ice block!"

"No way, sister!" argued Reef. "I just got off..."

"I'm still in charge here, so either listen to what I say, or go find your girlfriends and drag them back here!"

"Fine."

"Good. And none of us are moving until that suitcase is in our hands! Got it?"

* * *

><p>52 minutes in...<p>

The remaining members of Team Vets were holding steady, trying to ignore the urges to get off, even as their legs were getting numb. Meanwhile, Team Groms had lost another member, albeit temporarily, as Owen was having trouble getting feeling in his legs.

"C'mon, legs!" he shouted as he slapped them with his hands. "Work already!"

Bridgette and Darth climbed up onto the block. Bridgette took a seat, rubbing her legs to keep her warm and motioning for Geoff, who was already there, to do the same. Meanwhile, Darth helped Julie up and guided her off of the ice.

"We're about even," Bridgette shouted as she looked over at the other block. "They've caught up to us!"'

Kelly sat up, not pleased with Bridgette's worried screams. She got up and walked over to the block.

"Kelly! You're helping out after all!"

"Of course I am!"

She then turned to Darth, Julie, and Sierra.

"You three! Get Owen on his feet and get him back up on that ice! He's our only hope!"

The trio were not happy to be barked at, but they knew she was right. Kelly then turned to Ty, and gave him her best 'puppy dog' face.

"Ty? Would you be a dear and help them out?"

"Sure! We do need to win one of these challenges, after all."

The four of them slowly pulled Owen to his feet. But that was the easy part. The hard part was getting Owen to and on the ice block. While all this was happening, Caitlin continued to lie face down on her towel, ignoring the goings on around her. Slowly but surely, the Groms managed to get Owen close enough to their block that he could reach out and touch it. But in that same amount time, the Vets had melted their block to the point where...

"**AH!**" yelled Jonesy. "Something poked me!"

His first instinct was to turn to Courtney, who responded...

"Don't look at me, Romeo!"

"It's the case's handle!" Cody pointed out.

He and the girls got up, while the remaining four guys stayed seated on the block, using their butts in any way possible to break through the ice.

"C'mon, guys!" Jen cheered them on. "Melt that ice!"

"This is so embarrassing," Trent said as the guys began sliding their butts in a circle around the case.

"The things people do for their 15 minutes," added Wyatt, temporarily forgetting that he was one of those people.

Back with the Groms...

"Get the big guy up here!" Geoff screamed. "**I CAN'T FEEL MY LEGS!**"

The team was trying to lift Owen up onto the block. Even Kelly was physically helping, seeing how desperate their situation was. As this was happening, Bridgette seemed to be glancing around, as if she were searching for Blaineley. When she could not see her, she placed her hands on the ice to brace herself, then lifted herself an inch or two off of the block...

"I **SEEEEEEEE** you!" sang Blaineley, who was suddenly standing on the ice next to Bridgette.

"**EEEEK!**" Bridgette squealed, hopping completely off the ice and into her boyfriend's lap.

"Oh, isn't that cute? **BUT IT'S WRONG!** One-minute penalty!"

"**WHAT?**" Sierra shouted.

Sierra went over to protest, but in the process, abandoned her teammates, who could not hold Owen up between the four of them. The group crumbled into a pile in front of their block.

"**AAAAAHHHH!**"

Caitlin ran up to her team screaming.

"What's up with you?" Julie asked from the five-person pile, only half-interested.

"I... I... **SUNBURN!**"

She pointed to the red spots on the back of her neck and shoulders.

"You can't be serious," grumbled Kelly.

Speaking of girls who had abandoned their team, both Fin and Lo had returned to the challenge area of their own free will... and, coincidentally, at the same time. But they were just in time to see Trent and Jonesy working together to dislodge the suitcase out of their block. They tossed it to Jen, who caught it, and then turned to Cody, who opened it and pulled out two items...

"A hammer and a chisel?"

"The tools were **INSIDE** the suitcase?" Reef shouted. "Are you **KIDDING ME**?"

"Team Vets remains undefeated," Blaineley stated as she walked over to them, "as they claim their third straight victory!"

[Team Vets $75,000 - Team Groms $0]

But there did not seem to be much celebration from them for this victory, given everything that had happened. And to show their frustration, Reef picked up the hammer and the chisel and tossed them at the hostess.

"**AAAAAHHHH!**" she ran away screaming, the items just missing hitting her.

* * *

><p>Team Vets immediately went off to deliberate, aware it was the girls' turn at Castoff Beach this time...<p>

"Those voting for Sierra?" Jen questioned.

Courtney, Cody, Trent, Jonesy, Wyatt, and Jen herself raised their hands.

"That's a majority. Sierra it is."

"Well, we **HAVE** to get rid of the only girl who's a physical threat," explained Courtney.

"So which one of you betties wants to take her on?" Reef asked.

"She will!" Lo and Fin exclaimed in unison, pointing at each other. "What? Me? You will! No, you!"

"We've got to pick **SOMEONE**!" Trent shouted.

Jen pulled out a small notepad and tore a few pages out...

"I guess we're going secret ballot again..."

* * *

><p>[Castoff Beach]<p>

"Lay it on me!" Blaineley exclaimed, looking at Trent, who had been chosen as spokesperson. "Who did you guys pick, and why?"

"For the Groms, we picked Sierra."

Sierra gasped, then stepped forward.

"Sorry, Sierra. Just doing what needs to be done."

"And who are the Vets sending out to face her?"

Blaineley had to ask because it was in the script. But one look at a certain blonde's angry face made the Vets' choice quickly apparent.

_Confessional Cam - Fin_

_"My team's throwing me into the challenge instead of Lo? I deserve to stay here more than she does! **ARGH!**"_

Fin spun the wheel, which came to a stop on 'Ascent to Glory.'

* * *

><p>[Ascent to Glory]<p>

Both Fin and Sierra had safety harnesses on and were standing at the base of a 25-foot rope-climbing tower, which had bells waiting for them at the top.

"Pretty self-explanatory," Blaineley told them. "First person to ring their bell at the top wins the challenge and stays in the game. The loser gets set adrift to sea. Got it?"

"**I'M DOING THIS FOR YOU, MY LOVE!**" Sierra declared, looking over at Cody.

Cody did what he does best whenever Sierra shoots him lovey-dovey eyes... he hides behind someone. In this case, Jonesy.

"Dude," Jonesy chuckled, "you two need to get a room, man!"

"Start on the whistle!" Blaineley told them. "Good luck!"

Blaineley blew the whistle, and both girls were off. The teams could be heard cheering as Fin and Sierra began their ascents. At first, they were matching each other reach-for-reach...

"Wow, they're fast," admitted Julie.

But by the time they were halfway up, Sierra began to edge ahead. Fin saw that Sierra was not only out-muscling her, but was also using her legs and feet to help steady her rope. Fin tried to do the same, but by that time, it was too late. She could not close the gap, and was about three feet short as Sierra reached up and rang the bell.

"And we have a winner!" declared Blaineley. "Sierra!"

The Groms danced up and down in jubilation, while mixed feelings of disappointment, grief, and relief washed over the Vets. Fin looked down angrily at her teammates, not pleased with the result.

* * *

><p>Once out of their harnesses, Sierra joined her team's celebration, happy that not only was she still in the game, but that she could stay in the Florida Keys with Cody for at least a couple more days.<p>

"I hope you're all happy with yourselves!" Fin shouted at her now ex-teammates. "Thanks for throwing me under the bus!"

Her whole team was unusually non-responsive to Fin's tirade, especially Lo, who was starting to show all kinds of regret on her face.

"I hope the next challenge's a surfing one, so you all lose!"

"Hey!" objected Reef. "Who's the resort surf instructor again?"

Jen elbowed him in the stomach.

"So **NOT** the time!"

The interns appeared to take Fin to the raft, but as one of them reached in to grab her, she slapped it away.

"I know, I know, Raft of Losers! Gimme a second!"

Fin then marched over to Lo to give her a few final words.

"If you think you're gonna coast to the finale like you did last year, you're dead wrong!"

With that, Fin headed to the raft. Lo seemed perplexed at the threat, even though she knew how unhappy Fin was with her. Over with the Groms, Kelly was seen smirking evilly.

_Confessional Cam - Kelly_

_"Now that Fin's gone, I can carry out her plan! I'm about to make Ridgemount's stay in the Keys a living Hell!"_

Fin sat down on the raft and was pushed out to sea, with both her arms and legs crossed. She was glaring at her teammates, even though some of them, like Jen and Cody, were waving her a remorseful goodbye.

"The Vets may be undefeated," remarked Blaineley, "but their team is splintering faster than a family of termites attacks a lumber mill! How long can they stay unified? Find out on the next episode of 'Fresh Challenge: Vets vs. Groms!'"

**End Episode Three**

**Author's Notes:**  
>Fin becomes the third person lost to the sea. Sad. She didn't leave without affecting the rest of the game, which the others will see soon enough. Next week's episode's gonna hurt... in more ways than one!<p>

**Next up:** Episode 4 - Next Thursday, June 30th, 7 pm EST!


	4. This is Really Gonna Hurt!

**"Fresh Challenge: Vets vs. Groms"**  
><strong>Story Written by Freedom Fighter<strong>

A second guy gets sent adrift this week! Who is it, and will be getting booted from the show be worth it?

**Disclaimer:** All characters are the property of Fresh TV, Inc.

* * *

><p><em>20 teens, 3 weeks, $300,000 on the line<em>  
><em>And only one team to split the prize<em>

_[Blaineley]_  
><em>This is 'Fresh Challenge: Vets vs. Groms!'<em>

**-**  
><strong>Fresh Challenge: Vets vs. Groms<br>Episode Four - This is Really Gonna Hurt! (06.30.11)**  
><strong>-<strong>

The cast returned to the house an hour later. The elimination of Fin affected some people more than others.

_Confessional Cam - Reef_

_"I thought I'd be happy that Fin's gone. Because I beat her! But now... whose face can I rub my victories in now?"_

_Confessional Cam - Jen_

_"Obviously, having both Fin and Lo on our team was a detriment. Hopefully, all the arguing on our team will stop now."_

* * *

><p>Bridgette was seen pulling a cotton cloth out of a bowl with milk in it. She wrung it out, then placed it on the back of Caitlin's neck, joining the two she had already put on her shoulders.<p>

"Ooh," Caitlin hissed, before relaxing. "I never knew milk could be used to heal sunburns!"

"A surfer's gotta know these things," Bridgette told her.

"You just stayed on one side too long," Lo told her as she walked up to them, wearing only her two-piece bikini.

"Where you off to?"

"To even out my tan. Ten or 15 minutes ought to do it."

"But we were outside for at least two hours already!"

"Pish posh!" Lo exclaimed, not concerned. "I know my skin's limits. Besides, a tanutation doesn't stay intact by itself!"

Lo left them and went into the backyard. She found that a reclining lawn chair had already been set up for her.

"Wow! The guys on this show **FINALLY** understand my needs!"

She lied down on it, face up, put her sunglasses on, and relaxed. She slowly inhaled and exhaled, dreaming she was on the beach instead of a fence-locked backward with the sound of cars driving by nearby.

That dream lasted all of five seconds, as the chair suddenly folded in on her, bending her so much that her head was nearly touching her feet.

"**EEEEEK!**" she screamed. "Somebody help me!"

Bridgette, Wyatt, and Reef could be seen running out of the house a few seconds later, coming out to pry Lo from the chair. The boys grabbed the ends, while Bridgette pulled Lo out. As they assisted her, none of them caught the pair of eyes peeking down at them from behind a curtained window... before those pulled back as well.

* * *

><p>A few hours later, Jonesy and Reef seemed to be scheming as Cody and Wyatt walked into the room.<p>

"What you guys up to?" Wyatt asked.

"Planning a panty raid," Jonesy stated point blank. "Want in?"

"What? No!"

"Ooh!" Cody exclaimed. "I do!"

"Really?" Reef raised an eyebrow suspiciously. "You don't seem like the type."

"I don't seem like a lot of things."

"You guys shouldn't do this," Wyatt warned them.

"Stop being a wuss!" scolded Jonesy. "There's some hot girls upstairs strutting in their frilly and silk bottoms! Plus, if they really want them back afterwards, we can sell them back to them!"

"You're telling me we can profit from this, too?" Reef asked Jonesy. "Sweet!"

"I don't want any part of this," Wyatt said as he turned to exit the room.

"Hold on, Wyatt!" Jonesy stopped him. "No blabbing to the girls!"

"I won't! Sheesh!"

With that, Wyatt left.

"Okay," Jonesy said to Reef and Cody, "here's the plan..."

* * *

><p>Later that night, most of the lights in the house were off. Jonesy, Reef, and Cody tiptoed their way to and up the stairs. They saw that the light was on under the door in the co-ed bedroom, but it was closed shut. The boys made their way to the door of the all-girls bedroom and stopped. Jonesy grabbed the doorknob, then stopped to check one last time that the coast was clear. Reef glanced left while Cody looked right. When they both confirmed so with a nod, Jonesy turned the knob and the three walked into the room.<p>

Jonesy turned on the flashlight he had and scanned the room with it. Reef carefully climbed up to the top of one of the bunk beds to make sure that no one was in the room, asleep. Jonesy and Cody waited for him to give them a thumbs up, then they began searching the room. They started with the floor, which was covered with dirty clothes, pillows, and other things.

"Man," Cody commented, "the girls as messy as we are."

"As messy?" Reef said as he climbed down. "Try more messier! They're pigs compared to us!"

Cody slid open the closet door. He could tell by looks alone that 90 percent of what was hanging belonged to either Caitlin or Lo. Reef joined Jonesy in searching through the piles of mess on the floor.

"Hold up!" Reef exclaimed, in a low voice. "What's that in the corner?"

He pointed that way, and Jonesy shined his flashlight there. They found a foldable hamper filled to the brim with dirty clothes.

"Jackpot!" Jonesy said with glee.

The trio moved over there, albeit Cody apprehensively.

"Wouldn't we better off with clean ones?" he asked them.

"Too easy!" Reef told him. "Where's the fun in that?"

"Now, remember," Jonesy said to them. "Only grab one or two apiece! The longer we can go without them realizing what we've done, the better!"

Jonesy started to rummage through the hamper, pulling out an assortment of clothes and giving them to Reef and Cody to sort through. One by one, they started pulling underwear from the pile.

"We'd better hurry. They should be back from the trip to boardwalk in about 15 minutes."

Suddenly, the lights in the room turned on. The trio turned to see Sierra, Kelly, and Courtney standing in the doorway. And the looks on their faces... pissed could not even begin to describe them as the boys had girls' panties on their hand, on top on their head, and held up to their face, respectively.

"Yeah..." Reef said aloud, "I know this looks bad. But... **IT WAS CODY'S IDEA!**"

But the girls were not buying it, as all three of them jumped on them...

* * *

><p>Half an hour later, Ty, Wyatt, and Geoff walked into the boys' bedroom downstairs... and found Jonesy, Reef, and Cody lying on the carpet - bruised, battered, and with tattered clothes on.<p>

"What happened to you guys?" Ty asked.

"Sounds like someone got their hands caught in the cookie jar!" exclaimed Wyatt.

Jonesy, Reef, and Cody all groaned, as they tried to forget a beatdown they would never forget.

_Confessional Cam - Jonesy_

_"Okay, that didn't work out as well as I thought. Still, for those few seconds we had our hands on those panties... it was heaven."_

* * *

><p>After a sorely-needed rest day, for some more than others, it was time for another challenge. Today's challenge was being held on indoor basketball court in a gymnasium. Blaineley was waiting for them at center court, with her usual something-is-fishy smile plastered on her face.<p>

"I only need three words to describe today's challenge!"

She turned around and whistled, a signal for an intern to walk into the gym with a mesh bag full of balls in it. But contrary to the setting, they were not basketballs. They were red, rubber balls. Which meant...

"**EXTREME DODGE BALL!**"

The group took a few seconds to take Blaineley's statement in, then they erupted in a mix of cheers, boos, complaints, dances, hisses, and... Cody peeing his pants.

"Awesome!" Reef declared. "I **RULE** at this game!"

Owen rubbed his hands together in anticipation. "Oh yeah, baby!"

"Hold up!" Courtney argued. "Last time I checked, extreme dodgeball is **TWO** words!"

"What are you, a grammar Nazi?" shot back Blaineley.

The intern dumped the balls on the ground, seven in total, with the exception of one, which he put directly in Blaineley's left hand. She was about to continue her explanation when she saw Lo raise her hand.

"Ugh... **WHAT?**"

"Pardon me, Miss Host-Whose-Last-Name-I-Forgot... but how **DO** you play dodgeball?"

Blaineley smirked... then threw the ball at Lo. It hit her in the left arm.

"**OW!** What was **THAT** for?"

The intern handed Blaineley a second ball, and she threw it immediately. It hit Lo as well, this time in the right leg.

"**OW!**"

Kelly was laughing uncontrollably, apparently enjoying the show.

"**WILL YOU STOP?**" Lo yelled, seemingly at both of them.

"You asked how to play dodgeball, and I'm showing you."

A third ball. Blaineley threw it, this time going right for Lo's head. Thankfully, Reef had had enough, and he stepped in and caught the ball before it could reach his girl. Blaineley applauded him.

"Nice catch, lover boy. Only one problem. In **MY** version of dodgeball, a thrower, i.e. me, **IS NOT** eliminated if someone catches the ball."

"You can **CATCH** balls?"

"Slow down," Caitlin spoke up. "We're supposed to hit Lo?"

"Not exactly," Geoff tried to correct her.

"**WHAT'S SO HARD?**" yelled an angry Kelly. "You take a ball, and try to hit someone on the other team with it! **SHEESH!**"

Kelly was breathing in and out heavily, enraged more than usual. Her teammates backed slowly away from her.

"Did you know that dodgeball was invented in the 15th Century by opium-addicts in China?" Sierra told everyone.

"That can't be true," objected Courtney. "Besides, nothing good ever comes from drugs."

Blaineley growled like a bear, angry at all the interruptions. The group became quiet again so she could continue.

"A few other modifications... once you're out, you're out **FOR GOOD**. No getting to come back in if someone on your team catches a ball. Also, even if you're holding a ball, if it's knocked out of your hand by a second ball, you're still out."

"So you're basically telling us **NOT** to catch the ball?" questioned Bridgette.

Blaineley slapped herself in the face, in disbelief of their stupidity.

"Well, it's not like you're making the rules clear!" the blonde surfer argued.

"Just for that... you **DON'T** get to sit out this challenge! Now, Team Groms... because you're up one person, someone's gotta sit out this challenge. It can't be Kelly, because she sat out the last time. Nor can it be Bridgette, because... well, she knows."

"That's not fair!" Bridgette shouted.

"Zip it, missy, or I'll make it so that you **HAVE** to compete in every single challenge! Got it?"

Bridgette was seething mad, and so was her boyfriend, Geoff. But both were showing great restraint in not shouting back at Blaineley. They did want to win a reality show for once, after all.

"Choose quickly, Groms. We only have the gym rented for an hour."

Team Groms quickly deliberated.

"Can I sit out?" Caitlin asked.

"Hold it," Julie pointed at her. "If anyone should sit this out, it's me."

"I agree," Darth sided with Julie. "Besides, Julie's still feeling the after effects of the last challenge!"

"No way!" Caitlin argued. "Just look at me! Could you imagine how much of a hit my likability will take if a I get hit in the face with a rubber ball?"

"Oh, man up!" Sierra told Caitlin. "Just learn the five D's of dodgeball: dodge, duck, dip, dive, and dodge!"

"Did you just say dodge twice?"

"For crying out loud!" screamed Kelly. "Shirley Pimples is sitting out, Brain-Dead Barbie, you're playing! Now, let's **GO**!"

Kelly grabbed Julie and pushed her off the court.

"Alrighty!" Blaineley exclaimed happily. "Time to get this game started!"

_[End Act One]_

* * *

><p>[Challenge 4: Extreme Dodgeball]<p>

The teams were set up, with all of their back heels touching their respective end lines. Set up at mid-court were two balls, ready to be plucked.

"Time to see some poor sap get murdered!" Blaineley declared.

She was about to blow her whistle when she noticed that everyone was looking at her in shock. Her intern-of-the-day, along with Blaineley's parole officers, walked up to her chair. The intern climbed up and whispered something in her ear.

"What? Saying the m-word violates my parole? I don't remember that in my contract!"

He whispered something else. She sighed in defeat.

"Fine. I'll change it."

He climbed back down, and he and the officers stepped off the court.

"So..." Blaineley addressed the teams, "let's go... dodgeball!"

She knew how dumb that sounded, but seeing as she still wanted this job, she blew the whistle, starting the game. Trent, Jonesy, and Reef charged towards the center line for the Vets; Sierra, Ty, and Geoff did the same for the Groms. Reef got there first and threw it right at Ty, who was not expecting it.

[Team Vets 8 - Team Groms 7]

Sierra got the other, and make a hard throw at Jonesy. But his reflexes were just fast enough to avoid being beaned. It bounced to Jen, who picked it up and tossed it to her stepbrother, who had retreated back to her, all while Ty joined Julie on the bench.

"The bigger they are..." he told himself.

Jonesy set his sights on Owen and fired. Despite his large girth, though, Owen danced out of the way.

"**WHAT?**" Jonesy screamed. "That doesn't make any sense!"

The ball had bounced out of bounds, so it was retrieved and thrown back in, to Owen. Geoff had the ball in hand that eliminated Ty, so the Groms now had both.

"You aim high," Geoff told Owen, "and I'll aim low!"

They threw simultaneously, both of them heading for Jonesy.

"I **STILL** don't understand this game!" complained Lo.

She was walking over to Jonesy, hoping he could explain. But he was too busy dodging out of the way. Lo, on the other hand...

**WHAP! WHAP!**

Owen's ball hit her in the forehead, while Geoff's got her in the right leg. She was knocked on her butt, and she felt as if her head was spinning.

[Team Vets 7 - Team Groms 7]

"Anybody get the number of the sports car that hit me?" she asked, as Wyatt ran over to help her up.

"**HEY!**" shouted Reef, picking up one of the balls. "I don't care how much she blows at this game, **STOP TRYING TO HIT ON MY GIRLFRIEND!**"

"I think you put an 'on' in there when..."

But Courtney did not finish correcting Reef before he threw the ball, aiming at the closest opponent, which was Sierra. Mistake number one. She not only caught it, but she did a tuck and roll, and as she was coming out the other side of the maneuver... she chucked the ball back at Reef.

Mistake number two... he had turned his back to her as he went over to check on Lo. As a result, he got pegged hard in the back.

"**OW!** I call timeout!"

[Team Vets 6 - Team Groms 7]

Blaineley blew her whistle.

"You don't get to call timeouts! I do! **TIMEOUT!**"

Play stopped as Reef and Lo walked off the court together, while the intern placed a third ball directly at the center court. Blaineley blew the whistle again, and play resumed, with the Vets having two balls in their possession and the Groms none.

Courtney smirked as she strutted up to the center line and grabbed the new ball. She stepped back to Jen and Jonesy, who had the other balls, and all three prepared to fire.

"They're going down!" Courtney exclaimed.

Jen threw at Geoff, Jonesy hurled his at Owen, and Courtney launched hers at Sierra. Despite their combined athletic prowess, though, both girls' shots were dodged, and Owen caught Jonesy's.

"Damn it!" cursed the ex-C.I.T.

Owen spun his arm like a windmill, winding up before delivering his pitch. After a few revolutions, Owen returned his ball to its original sender. Jonesy took a deep breath and sucked in his gut, just enough for the ball to miss him by less than an inch.

"**HA!**" he shouted.

**BAP!**

A second throw connected... with Jonesy's butt. He winced in pain as he walked off the court.

[Team Vets 5 - Team Groms 7]

"This isn't working!" Courtney shouted. "We need to employ a 'Rush the New Guy' strategy!"

"I don't think so," Jen thought aloud. "We need to dwindle their numbers fast, so let's 'Take Out the Weak Links!'"

"Rush the New Guy!"

"Take Out the Weak Links!"

Wyatt picked up the ball, and threw it at Darth, who... caught it?

"Man!" Wyatt exclaimed. "I suck!"

Darth handed it to Sierra, but as that is happening, Caitlin tripped and fell while trying to find someone to hide behind. Courtney got a ball and launched it at Caitlin. But Sierra saw it coming, as she ran over and used her ball to deflect Courtney's away.

"See?" Courtney looked at Jen. "Your strategy sucks!"

Jen was about to fire back, but both girls had to react to Sierra making a throw at them. They dodged in the nick of time, and the ball bounced into Cody's hands. Like Wyatt before him, he aimed for Darth.

"Wait!" Sierra shouted, jumping in front of Darth before Cody could make the throw. "Don't do it, my love!"

"Huh?" Cody scratched his head in confusion.

He was wondering why Sierra would protect Darth. What he should have been worried about was Kelly, who threw her ball... at Cody's balls, hitting them dead on. He winced as he grabbed them and doubled over in pain. Kelly grinned evilly as she saw her handiwork lying on the ground before her.

[Team Vets 4 - Team Groms 7]

"**HEY!**" Jen and Courtney yelled, arguing the low blow to Blaineley.

"I'll allow it," Blaineley decided without even thinking about it.

"**CODY!**" Sierra shouted with grief, before turning to Kelly in anger. "I don't care what your deal is, **BUT NOBODY MESSES WITH MY CODY!**"

She handed the ball to Owen, then began griping with Kelly. As the two girls went at it, Owen saw someone on the Vets glancing over at the bench, at Lo. Seeing the opportunity, Owen fired... and hit his target right in the stomach.

"Ooh..." groaned Wyatt, "gonna feel that one tomorrow..."

He then fell over, clutching his stomach in pain.

[Team Vets 3 - Team Groms 7]

Courtney felt a sense of dread wash over her. Her team was down to just her, Jen, and Trent. The trio were discussing things as play was stopped for a fourth ball to be put onto the field.

"Can we go with my plan now?" Courtney whined.

* * *

><p>The Groms had two balls and the Vets had one as play resumed. The Vets had to go for the fourth ball to even things up. Jen sprinted for center court, and Courtney followed a few steps behind. Owen and Sierra fired at Jen, but not in unison.<p>

"Duck, sidestep left!" called out Courtney.

Jen followed Courtney's orders, and both balls sailed past her without incident. Courtney ran past, got the new ball, and threw it at Owen's legs. Owen had no time to dodge given Courtney's proximity, and he went down.

[Team Vets 3 - Team Groms 6]

"Yes!" Courtney pumped her fist with glee, then turning to high-five her teammates.

Each Vet now had a ball in hand, while Sierra was the only one with one on the Groms side.

"**SIERRA!**" Courtney shouted.

All three of them threw their balls at Sierra. Courtney's reached her first, and she leaned to her right... directly into the path of Jen's, which hit her on the hand hard enough to dislodge it from her hand...

"Noooooo..."

...while Trent's clocked her almost simultaneously in the right hip.

[Team Vets 3 - Team Groms 5]

Bridgette, Geoff, Darth, and Kelly picked up all the balls, and they threw them all back at the Vets. But none of their throws were on the mark, and they were suddenly in big trouble. Trent threw a ball Geoff's way, but while he held fast and attempted to dodge from a stationary position, Bridgette, who was next to him, ran from him.

Her disloyalty was rewarded with a throw at her courtesy of Jen. She tried to spin away from it, but she ended up turning into it... and got hit in the left buttcheek.

"**EEP!**" Bridgette squealed.

[Team Vets 3 - Team Groms 4]

Geoff had dodged Trent's toss, but the damage was done as Blaineley stopped play to insert a fifth ball... and to laugh at Bridgette.

"Ha ha ha! Oh, God... you make it too easy! A-ha ha ha!"

Bridgette was about to scream at her, but Geoff covered her mouth before anything could come out.

"Ignore her," he told her. "She'll get hers when the time is right!"

He released his girlfriend, who avoided looking at the hostess as she joined her teammates on the bench. The game resumed, and both teams made a mad charge for the fifth ball. Jen was covered by Trent, while Geoff guarded Kelly. Courtney and Darth stood ready as back-up, each with a ball in hand, while Caitlin hid behind Darth. Jen reached in and swiped the ball away just before Kelly could reach it, and then both teams retreated from center court.

"Hmmm..." Courtney thought, seeing Caitlin behind Darth.

"Who do we go after?" Jen asked her.

Courtney pointed at the two targets she had been eying. Jen pitched hers hard at Darth, and Courtney's throw was right behind Jen's. Caitlin screamed in fear, leaving the defenseless Darth with just a split second to decide what to do. To Courtney's and Jen's surprise, he does not move and takes both balls... one to the stomach, the other to his knees.

[Team Vets 3 - Team Groms 3]

"Unbelievable!" Blaineley commentated. "Darth takes both bullets like a knight in shining armor, and Team Vets has come back from as many as four players down to even this game up!"

Caitlin was about to thank Darth, but he was too busy whispering an idea to Geoff, who nodded in approval. Darth saluted everyone farewell, then walked off the court. Geoff picked up the ball that had hit Darth, and threw it towards Jen. The toss, though, was a little short, and Jen tried to dive forward to catch it. The ball ended up hitting the palms of her ceiling-facing hands, and then bounced right into her face.

"Ha ha!" Jonesy laughed from the sideline. "The goof of the century!"

[Team Vets 2 - Team Groms 3]

"What was **THAT**?" berated Courtney. "You **TRYING** to throw this challenge..."

Jen got up, rolled her eyes, and started walking off the court.

"Hey! Stop ignoring me! Do you know who I am?"

Courtney raised her arms in the air, waving them around. Meanwhile, Kelly had passed a ball to Geoff, who aimed it at the distracted girl. He hit her in the side of her chest, knocking her down instantly.

[Team Vets 1 - Team Groms 3]

"Oops," winced Geoff, "didn't mean to aim that high!"

"I think he did," snickered Kelly.

"Ow!" complained Courtney, rubbing her right side. "What's the big idea?"

Blaineley blew her whistle.

"Off the court, whiner!"

"You'll pay for this!" Courtney shook her fist angrily at Geoff, before marching off the court.

_[End Act Two]_

* * *

><p>A sixth ball was about to put in play. Trent was the last Vet standing, but he had three balls. Geoff and Kelly had the other two. The whistle blew, and the pair headed towards the center line to get the new ball. Caitlin, though, was not thinking, and she was standing out in the open like a wild turkey on Thanksgiving. Trent threw one ball her way. Seeing this, Geoff acted quickly and flipped his ball to Caitlin. She caught it and raised it up to her face to deflect the incoming ball.<p>

A hit to her face was avoided, but she did not have time to set her ball, and as a result, it was knocked out of her hands as the one Trent threw deflected away.

"Deflection!" called Blaineley. "Caitlin's **O-U-T**, out!"

[Team Vets 1 - Team Groms 2]

Caitlin gasped. "I kept all the balls from getting in my face! **YES!**"

"Eew," groaned Kelly. "Really?"

Geoff grabbed the free ball, but Trent made his next throw at Kelly instead. She caught it, though. Trent picked up his last ball and had no choice to use it as a shield. He stood fast as the Groms fired at him, one ball at a time. Geoff threw one, then Kelly, then Geoff, and Kelly once again.

"Whew," Trent said, breathing a sigh of relief as he lowered the ball down.

"Dude!" Reef yelled. "That was only four!"

**BAP!**

"And... that was number five."

Trent was hit square in the face, and he went down. Kelly had her hands on her hips as she smiled smugly at her downed opponent.

"I'm the queen of the dodgeball court! And don't you **EVER** forget it!"

[Team Vets 0 - Team Groms 2]  
>[Team Vets $75,000 - Team Groms $25,000]<p>

Despite her sour demeanor all day, Kelly was lifted off her feet and carried off the court in style by her teammates, as she ended Team Vets' three-challenge winning streak. The losers, meanwhile, could only hang their heads in shame and disappointment.

* * *

><p>The praise of Kelly continued on the bus ride to Castoff Beach, even though Team Groms needed to deliberate who was going to go into the elimination challenge.<p>

"Since I," Kelly said aloud, "pretty much singlehandedly, won our first challenge, it's only fair that I recommend which of those Team Vets losers to throw in."

"I suppose you're entitled," Darth responded. "Speak!"

"Very well. I say Reef!"

"The guy did win this competition last year. And he's been a grade-A jerk to Julie and I! As has Jonesy."

"True," Caitlin agreed. "But they're co-responsible for that panty raid of theirs."

"Holy smokes!" shouted Owen. "There was a panty raid? How come I didn't know about this?"

The girls looked at him. He shrugged his shoulders.

"What? I heard they're fun!"

"They totally are, dude," Geoff told him.

"Ahem," coughed Bridgette.

"Not that I've ever been **IN** one, mind you."

"I guess I should also mention that Reef keeps shoving that fake gold medal of his in our faces," Darth reminded him.

"We're in agreement, then?" asked Kelly.

Everyone nodded.

"Okay... as for which of the guys we should send in..."

"May I say something?" Ty cut in.

"Of course, honey bunch!"

"Thanks, babe! Now... I was thinking. I was the first one taken out of the dodgeball game, so I volunteer myself to represent us at Castoff Beach."

"Yes! Wait, I mean... **TY!**"

Ty grabbed Kelly by the shoulders and turned her to face him.

"Kelly... it's the right thing to do!"

"You know the right thing can get you sent adrift at sea!"

"I know what I'm doing. Trust me!"

"Trust you? Did you even stop to think how much you'll be hurting **ME** if you leave?"

"Awww..." cooed Caitlin, "you can't stand to be apart from him!"

"Clam it, Cooke!"

"I can do this!" Ty told Kelly. "I'll do what needs to be done to send Reef home!"

Kelly crossed her arms over her chest and turned away from Ty.

"I'll let you go... but don't expect a goodbye kiss if you lose!"

* * *

><p>[Castoff Beach]<p>

"Selection time," Blaineley said. "Sierra, please tells us who the Groms have picked to compete, and why? First, your Vets' pick."

"We decided," answered Sierra, "to put Reef in the challenge. Mostly because he's a dirty little perv who corrupts others around him."

"Hey!" shouted Reef. "No fair using words I don't know!"

"And to go against him?" asked the hostess.

"Ty."

Lo gasped in shock.

"'Cause he volunteered to."

_Confessional Cam - Lo_

_"My boyfriend against my brother? How is **THAT** fair?"_

Reef and Ty stepped forward.

"Since the Groms won a challenge," Blaineley said aloud, "for once, Ty, spin the wheel!"

Ty obliged, and after a few revolutions, it came to a stop on 'Tug of Eternity.'

"Ooh! Sounds perfect!"

* * *

><p>[Tug of Eternity]<p>

A few minutes later, the two guys had a large, thick rope tied around their waists, one that connected them together. They were each standing equidistant from a pair of cones halfway between them, and the two were facing the opposite way of each other.

"This is a battle of strength, grit, and endurance," explained the hostess. "The person who pulls their opponent across the center line, where I'm currently standing... or who pulls them the closest in ten minutes, wins the challenge and remains in the game! Clear?"

"Yep," Reef confirmed. "Ty... you're going down, man!"

"I'm afraid not," Ty shouted back. "I'm winning this!"

"Challenge starts on the whistle!"

She put the whistle in her mouth, waited a couple seconds, then blew it. Reef and Ty started pulling, to the cheers and cries of their teammates. Each of them leaned forward, trying to drag the other towards them. At first, they were evenly matched, as they went back and forth, one giving up a few inches, then the other... and vice versa.

"Can't... lose..." grunted Ty.

"Not... losing," groaned Reef.

Reef then began showing his superior strength, gritting his teeth as he started pulling Ty his way. The elder Ridgemount sibling was slowly losing ground, inch by inch, but he continued to fight. Several minutes passed, and Reef had the clearly visual advantage by a few feet. Then, suddenly, Ty turned the tide, gaining momentum as Reef began to tire. Slowly but surely, Reef was being pulled backwards, as Ty dug his toes into the sand and tugged as hard as he could.

"One minute left," Blaineley said, glancing at her stopwatch.

Both were now exhausted, but Ty was in better shape as he was dragging Reef closer and closer to the cones. Reef dug in to the last of his reserves to attempt to regain some ground. It started to work, but...

"Three, two, one... **TIME!**"

Blaineley grabbed the rope in front of her, and the two guys dropped to the sand, both exhausted. With Reef about two feet away from her, it was clear who the winner is.

"The winner of the challenge... is Ty!"

His teammates could be heard cheering with glee.

* * *

><p>Once they were untied, Ty walked over to Reef and gave him a bro-hug.<p>

"Sorry, dude," Ty told him.

"Yeah, man," Reef said in return. "No big."

Ty turned and rejoined his teammates, who gave him a combination of high-fives and hugs.

"I can't believe I lost!" Reef grumbled.

"Hand it over," Blaineley told him.

He instantly knew what she was talking about, and complied, as he relinquished his gold medal to the hostess. He turned to his team, blew a kiss to Lo, then began walking towards the raft.

"**REEF!**" cried Lo. "Don't go!"

"Don't worry," Reef shouted. "The sea won't get the better of me!"

He sat down on the raft, then waved goodbye to his team as he was sent adrift. Lo could not stand to see him go, so she turned around, buried her face in her hands, and started to wail.

"This isn't over!" yelled Reef. "The Reefster will the win next one! You can bet on it!"

"Who's he kidding?" chuckled Blaineley, who was now wearing the gold medal. "Nobody comes back on my show! Except you viewers, of course! Make sure you're back here for the next episode of 'Fresh Challenge!' See ya!"

"**HEY! WHAT ABOUT MY BOARD?**"

**End Episode Four**

**Author's Notes:**  
>I know it's a drag that we've had three 'Stoked' cast members sent adrift in a row. But look at it this way... they had two make the final three in "Fresh from Canada," right? So things are just balancing out...<p>

**Next up:** Episode 5 - Next Thursday, July 7th, 7 pm EST!


	5. Too Close for Comfort

**"Fresh Challenge: Vets vs. Groms"**  
><strong>Story Written by Freedom Fighter<strong>

Four gone, eight to go. Will the game change now that "Fresh from Canada" champion Reef is gone? Let's find out!

Also, back to the full intro for the first time since the premiere!

**Disclaimer:** All characters are the property of Fresh TV, Inc.

* * *

><p><em>20 teens, 3 weeks, $300,000 on the line<em>  
><em>And only one team to split the prize<em>

_[Cast Intros]_  
><em>Fin and Lo are in the midst of a staring match<em>  
><em>Trent is trying to teach Ty how to play guitar<em>  
><em>Sierra hugs Cody to the point his face is turning blue<em>  
><em>Jen reaches out to help, but Darth shakes his head<em>  
><em>Owen and Ripper produce fart clouds together...<em>  
><em>And Kelly and Caitlin cover their noses and run away<em>  
><em>Jonesy hands Wyatt a book that says 'How to Score Chicks'<em>  
><em>Courtney chats with Bridgette, even though she looks...<em>  
><em>Over at Geoff, who is giving Julie an autograph<em>  
><em>And Reef snatches a crown off of Heather's head and puts it on his<em>

_The twenty competitors then appeared on a boat in the Atlantic Ocean, approaching the Florida Keys. Blaineley was shown behind the wheel, driving them to their destination._

_[Blaineley]_  
><em>Two teams<em>  
><em>13 challenges<em>  
><em>May the best team win!<em>  
><em>This is 'Fresh Challenge: Vets vs. Groms!'<em>

**-**  
><strong>Fresh Challenge: Vets vs. Groms<br>Episode Five - Too Close for Comfort (07.07.11)**  
><strong>-<strong>

Lo spent the entire bus ride for the return trip to Key West staring sadly out the window. Sitting all alone in the back seat, she did not care that everyone was staring at her, with concerned looks all across their faces.

All except for...

_Confessional Cam - Kelly_

_"Now that Ridgemount's boy toy is gone, I'm free to turn my attacks onto her personally! I could orchestrate her exit right now... but it's no fun if I don't get to torture her for a few days first."_

"Someone should really talk to her," suggested Caitlin.

"I'll do it!" Wyatt smiled excitedly.

"Perhaps someone who isn't still harboring a romantic interest in her," Jen added, as she grabbed Wyatt by the arm and gave him a stern look.

"I guess I should," Ty said. "She is my sister. Even though... we don't really talk about this kinda stuff with each other."

Ty made his way back and took a seat next to his younger sibling.

"So... sorry I sent your boyfriend home, sis. At least, I think he's going home..."

Lo did not respond.

"I didn't want to... but it's the rules. If it wasn't him, it was gonna be me!"

Still no response.

"If I knew you cared so much about him, I would've offered to throw the challenge so that he could stay! I wouldn't have minded... kinda gettin' dull without any waves 'round here, you know?"

"You can stop apologizing," Lo spoke up at last. "I don't blame you for Reef's exit at all."

"You don't? Whew! That's a relief!"

Ty wiped the sweat off of his forehead with the back of his hand.

"So... you mind me asking..."

"I'd like to be alone right now, Ty. If you don't mind."

"Of course," Ty said as he got up and headed back to his seat.

_Confessional Cam - Lo_

_"Even if my brother did want Reef gone, he wouldn't have done it to spite me! There's only one person I'd know who'd do this to get back at me! And her name starts with a K- and ends with -elly!"_

* * *

><p>But Lo needed time to figure out a way to get back at her nemesis. Meanwhile, upon returning to the house, one cast member had become a target of interest to another... but for a different reason.<p>

"Hello, gorgeous!" Jonesy licked his lips with lust.

It turned out that he was spying on Courtney as she was busy writing letters. Many, many letters, if the small pile of 14 envelopes and counting to her right was any indication. Her back was turned to him, as he watched her from behind the curtain separating the guys' sleeping quarters from the kitchen, where she currently was.

_Confessional Cam - Jonesy_

_"Getting paired up with Courtney last year in Vancouver... best part of the entire trip! Now that we're together again, I can make my move! Just give me three days and she'll be all over me like... all over me like... two things that go real good together! Yeah, that's it!"_

Jonesy did a quick breath test, blowing on his hand and then smelling it. Convinced it was fresh enough, he made his way over. He could hear her reading her latest letter just loud enough, she believed, for her and her alone to hear it.

"Duncan, I hope your eyes fall off and get burned in molten lava! And someone rips that piercing above your eyebrow! Wish you were here, but glad you aren't... Courtney!"

Jonesy froze for a second, a little frightened of the dark tone of the letter. He then took a few more to gather himself, then figure out how to use it to his advantage, before resuming his approach. He waited until Courtney had stuffed the letter in an envelope, sealed it, and added it to the pile, before stepping up next to her at last.

"Looks like somebody's back on the market," Jonesy began with a chuckle. "I guess the guy couldn't stand a hottie like you cheering for him, huh?"

Courtney stood up, grabbed Jonesy by the shirt collar, and waved a letter opener just inches from his face.

"Don't you **EVER** talk about Duncan that way! **EVER!**"

"That bad of a break-up, huh? I'm sure you lost him to some chick who happens to be hotter than you. Not that I'm saying you're not hot! It's just..."

"He's with Gwen now."

Jonesy paused, then began to laugh loudly and uncontrollably, drawing the attention of Owen, Geoff, Bridgette, Cody, and Sierra, who were all sitting nearby.

"You lost him... to the goth? Oh, man, that is rich! You must've done something **STUPID** for that to happen!"

Courtney screeched, then wrapped her arm around Jonesy's neck with her free hand and held the letter opener in a position of which to stab him heart.

"You really wanna see if I can pierce you with this, don't you?"

She then noticed all the odd stares she was getting, and changed her mind about cutting open Jonesy's chest. She tossed the letter opener aside and released her grip on Jonesy.

"Please tell me there's a good reason you're interrupting me," she said, pushing for him to get to the point.

"Well," Jonesy said, reaching over and grabbing Courtney at the waist, "seeing as how we're both unattached, if you catch my drift... what do you say I take you on a magic carpet ride and see where it takes you?"

Now it was Courtney's turn to laugh loudly and uncontrollably, again drawing the attention of those nearby.

"That's the best pick-up line you can come up with? Nice try, genius, but if you must know, I'm already with someone else. That is, I think I am... he didn't return the 37 phone calls I made to him the day before we left to come here!"

"That sounds like you're a free agent to me!"

"Even if that were true, which it **ISN'T**... don't **YOU** have a girlfriend? That girl, Nikki? Who has as many piercings in her face as Duncan? Whom I hate so **MUCH**!"

"Meh," Jonesy shrugged, "she hasn't returned my phone calls either."

Courtney smacked Jonesy's hand off her waist, then picked up a glass full of water that was on the table... and dumped it on Jonesy's head.

"You're such a liar, you know that?"

With that, Courtney walked away, taking her finished envelopes with her.

_Confessional Cam - Jonesy_

_"Normally, a girl does that to me, and that's the end of it. But this is Courtney! Courtney! No way I'm letting that yummy piece of tail off the hook that easily!"_

* * *

><p>Another night and day passed, and the cast was spending the start of their second week in the Keys relaxing, planning strategy, or spending time with the guy or gal they love.<p>

"Dinner cruises, ghost tours, snorkeling, sightseeing, **AND** dolphin encounters!" Sierra exclaimed, as she was going through a stack of pamphlets of things to do in Key West. "How come we didn't know about these a week ago? There's so much for the two of us to do!"

"Sierra..." whined Cody.

"You have an idea as to what we should try first, my little Snuffleupagus?"

"Well..."

"There you are!"

Cody turned around and saw Jen had come up to the table they were sitting at. Sierra's eyes narrowed.

_Confessional Cam - Sierra_

_"Did you know Jen is only two letters away from Gwen? I **KNEW** I had reason to worry about her the first time I saw her! Well, Gwen didn't succeed at poaching my baby, and neither will Jen! Or any other girl who tries! Especially any whose name ends in -en!"_

"Team meeting," Jen told Cody. "We need to figure out how to stop losing team members."

"Uh huh," Sierra cut in, eying Jen suspiciously. "and I suppose team meeting is code for 'secret tryst!'"

"Excuse me?"

"Sierra..." Cody assured her, "it's **JUST** a team meeting."

"Fine. But..."

Sierra got in Jen's face and stared her down.

"I'm watching you! If you so much as bat an eyelash at my Cody..."

"C'mon, Jen," Cody said, pulling her away.

"Wow," gasped Jen, as she turned and started walking under her own power. "Possessive much?"

"You have no idea!"

_Confessional Cam - Jen_

_"As a teammate, and a friend, I really should do something about this. Sure, Cody's meek and helpless and not exactly what I'd call boyfriend material. But even he deserves someone better than Sierra! There must be some way to get her out of his life..."_

_[End Act One]_

* * *

><p>The two teams arrived on the beach where today's challenge was to take place. They were a bit stumped to see a half-dozen large scales waiting for them, three on either side of Blaineley.<p>

"Welcome to your fifth challenge!" greeted the hostess cheerfully. "Hopefully, you all having nothing to hide... from the scales!"

"Isn't how much you weigh a girl's best-kept secret?" questioned Caitlin.

"Only in marriages in which the guy doesn't have any balls!"

"What's **THAT** supposed to mean?" Jonesy asked, taking offense.

"Anyway, today, teams, your task is to balance the three scales on your side of the beach. Each of the scales has a different range of tolerance. We figured that we should give you guys a little leeway. The ranges are set so that the sides of each scale must be within 5, 10, and 20 pounds of each other, respectively."

Blaineley pointed to two sets of supplemental weights, or dumbbells, of weights 5, 10, and 15 pounds. There was also a 50-pound crate on each of the largest scales.

"Piece of cake," Jen stated abruptly.

"Of course it would be..." Blaineley told them, "if all you needed to balance were **THOSE**!"

"So stop stalling and **TELL US** what our challenge is!" shouted Geoff.

"Those weights are to be used only to fine tune the scales! Most of the weight is going to be provided... by you!"

Audible gasps could be heard coming from both sides.

_Confessional Cam - Caitlin_

_"Isn't it a bit personal to ask us to divulge our weight for the entire world to know? That's like Albatross and Finch having a half-off sale... and telling every student in school about it!"_

"Each team must balance seven team members among the three scales. It is not required that you use the supplemental weights, but you might need them to cover any weight gaps. The 50-pound crate on the 20-pound tolerance scales **CANNOT** be moved from its perch, and must be figured into your calculations. The first team to balance all three scales within each of their individual tolerance ranges **AND** hold it there for five seconds wins the challenge! Capiche?"

"But..." Caitlin raised a finger to object.

"None? Great! Let's move on! Groms, you are up two people, so two of you **MUST** sit out this challenge! Julie, since you sat the last challenge, you can't sit this one out."

The Groms began their debate, the foremost issue being...

"I think the Big-O should sit out," suggested Geoff, pointing to Owen. "You're so huge compared to everyone else, I'm not sure if we can find enough people to balance you out. No offense."

"It's cool," Owen said in response. "I wanna win, just like you guys!"

"**WAIT!**" Darth cut in. "It could be done, if we play our cards just right."

Julie nodded, siding with her boyfriend.

"It doesn't take a genius to figure out Owen **NEEDS** to sit out!" objected Kelly.

"I agree," Caitlin nodded, "that is, as long as I get to sit out too."

"Ugh! Might as well let the 90-pound slacker do what she does best!"

"Hey! I'm not **THAT** thin!"

"I'm with Darth, too," Sierra exclaimed. "If he thinks it can work, then I believe in him!"

Ty raised his hand as well, giving the 'Owen stays in' side a majority. Kelly glared at him.

"Have a little faith! We can do it!"

Darth broke the group huddle and stepped forward to announce their choices.

"Well?" Blaineley looked at him.

"Caitlin and Geoff will be sitting out the challenge," Darth told them.

Caitlin squealed with delight, while Geoff gave his team a thumbs up before the two of them headed for the bench.

"Okay! The challenge begins now... **GO!**"

[Challenge 5: Balance Trials]

With no time to even formulate a plan, both teams were forced to wing it as they bolted haphazardly for the scales. The Vets stopped by the 5-lb tolerance scale; the Groms ran all the way to the 20-lb one.

"Who do we start with?" Trent asked his team.

"Lo and Cody!" Courtney hastily decided.

"What?" freaked Lo. "Cody's, like, at least 20 pounds heavier than me!"

"That's exactly what I'm bettin' on!"

Over with the Groms...

"First and foremost," Darth explained, "we have to find enough weight to balance with Owen."

He pointed up the ladder to the scale. Owen gulped.

"You mean... I have to climb all the way up there?"

Despite hesitating, Owen began his ascent.

"What do you weigh, anyway?" Darth shouted up at him.

"I dunno," he shrugged, "310, give or take..."

Darth turned to look at Bridgette, Kelly, and Julie.

"You three... get on the side with the crate!"

The trio shrugged, then began to make their way up as Darth, Ty, and Sierra looked on. Owen had already reached his side, and he was weighing it down heavily. The girls slipped onto theirs, and, as they got on, the scale started tipping in their favor. So much so that the trio managed to outweigh Owen by a pretty wide margin.

"How can that be?" Sierra queried, looking at Darth and Ty. "All three of them are practically sticks!"

"We heard that!" exclaimed the trio in unison.

"Hate to say it," Ty admitted, "but we're going to have to give Owen some extra weight."

Ty and Darth headed for the rack of supplemental weights to pick a few of them off. On the other side, the Vets were doing the same, with Trent, Wyatt, and Jonesy retrieving some for their team.

"What'd you guys get?" Jen asked them as they returned.

"Five-pound weights?" an exasperated Courtney raised an eyebrow. "Let's see... put them all on Lo's side."

Lo squatted down as the boys walked over and handed them to her, one at a time. But she found it difficult to lift just one, as she began straining the second the first one was completely in her hands. She dropped it down by her feet after only a second or two. The scale tipped closer to the middle.

"Nobody said heavy lifting was going to be involved!" cried Lo.

They slowly placed the second and third ones on, and the scale came into balance range.

"Good!" Courtney exclaimed. "That's one!"

The quintet ran for the next scale, leaving Cody and Lo behind. Back with the Groms, Darth's plan appeared to have flaws in it, as Ty was continually adding weight to Owen's side of the scale.

"We're using so many of those dumbbells!" Sierra shouted. "And we've still got two more scales to balance!"

"This doesn't make sense!" Darth reasoned aloud. "By my calculations, the disparity between Owen and the girls should not be this big!"

"I think someone had one too many cupcakes this morning," grumbled Julie, as she shot a glare at Bridgette.

"She's probably got a few stuffed in her shirt!" added Kelly.

Bridgette gasped. "You did **NOT** just accused me of stuffing!"

"I don't blame you, girl. Those are your only worthwhile feature!"

Bridgette grabbed Kelly by the shoulders, but she simply knocked them aside. The two girls then got into an angry staring contest.

"**HEY!**" Sierra shouted. "Stop arguing about stupid stuff! I've done the research, and there's no one here who stuffs their top! Except maybe Blaineley..."

"**I HEARD THAT!**" the hostess yelled from off-screen.

"Change of tactics," Darth said aloud. "Kelly and Julie, come down. Sierra, take their place."

As the girls switched places, action returned to the Vets, where stepsiblings Jen and Jonesy were on the large scale, with Jen on the side with the 50 extra pounds. Their team was trying to figure out how to balance this scale, with it tipped just past the tolerance marker on Jen's side.

"It should only take a five-pounder," Jen guessed.

"But we don't have any of those left," Wyatt told her.

"Let's try this," Trent suggested, with a 10-pound weight in one hand and a 15-pound in the other.

Courtney climbed up the ladder and signaled for Trent to hand her the larger of the two, which she got and then proceeded to hand to Jonesy.

"So..." Jonesy flirted, "how about we go for a little sunset stroll later tonight? What do you say, babe?"

Courtney answered... by dropping the weight on Jonesy's feet.

"**OWWWWWWW!**" he yelped as he started jumping around.

"Courtney!" Jen shouted at her. "Knock it off!"

"Tell your stepbrother to stop trying to get in my pants and I will!"

Jonesy fell over and was now lying on his pan, favoring his feet and biting his lip.

_Confessional Cam - Jonesy_

_"I'm sure... the pain... to win that fox... worth it!"_

* * *

><p>Some unknown period of elapsed time later... both teams had two scales balanced, and were in the process of setting up their thirds. But things were not working as planned...<p>

"You have to tell me the truth!" Darth begged of a teammate. "How much do you **ACTUALLY** weigh?"

"For the last time," Kelly growled, "105!"

The two of them and 30 pounds of dumbbells were sharing a pan on the scale with the 10-pound tolerance range, opposing Owen, who was on the other side of this scale now.

"I say you're lying!" Darth argued.

"So? How do you know Owen's not lying?" Kelly shot back. "Or that he's not trying to throw us off? Speaking of which... **PUT YOUR CLOTHES BACK ON!**"

Sure enough, Owen had stripped down to just his underwear, in an attempt to make himself as light as possible. As Darth and Kelly continued their 'discussion,' the Vets were realizing their first plan was not going to work, as Trent, Courtney, and Wyatt could not find a combination of themselves and the leftover weights that would balance their last scale.

"This is so frustrating!" uttered Courtney in disbelief.

"If we don't figure out something fast," Cody shouted, "they're going to beat us! Again!"

"We can't let that happen!" Lo exclaimed. "If they win, you-know-who is going to get **ME** thrown into Castoff Beach!"

"We can't let that happen!" Wyatt said in complete agreement, before noticing a few odd stares directed at him. "What? We really can't!"

"**WAIT!**" Cody suddenly brightened up. "Jen, how much do you weigh?"

"Nice try," Jen replied, "but that's personal."

"Come on! You wanna win this or what?"

"Just tell him!" Courtney shouted at Jen, with her arms crossed over her chest.

"Why don't you tell him yours, if you're that anxious?"

Courtney gasped, then replied. "He asked you first!"

_Confessional Cam - Trent_

_"Man... why do girls have to be so secretive about their weight? It's not like we think any less of them if their bodies aren't perfect. Right?"_

_[End Act Two]_

* * *

><p>Sierra looked a bit bored as she sat in the pan on her side of the balance scale she was on, opposite of Ty. She was staring at the other team, in the midst of a heated discussion. And at the center of it all... Cody and Jen. She could not make out what they were saying, but because the two of them were so close to each other, the alarm bells were going off loudly in her head.<p>

"**BOYFRIEND STEALER, PART DEUX!**" she yelled.

"Huh?" Ty looked over at her in confusion. "Did you say something?"

Sierra jumped off of her pan and down to the ground, jolting Ty's side upwards and nearly throwing him off in the process.

"Sierra!" Darth shouted. "Where are you going?"

Bridgette gulped, seeing Sierra's eyes. "Ooh boy..."

Sierra charged for the other side of the beach. She jumped into the Vets' huddle, knocking Wyatt aside in the process, and grabbed Cody. Before he could break free, Sierra turned him around and buried his face into her chest.

"That is one lucky dude," Jonesy whispered to Trent.

"Not so sure Cody would agree with you there," Trent said back.

She held him there, and then turned her focus towards a befuddled Jen.

"Um, that's **MY** teammate you're assaul-"

"That's **MY FUTURE HUSBAND** you're getting cozy with!"

Jen snickered. "You serious?"

"**DEADLY SERIOUS!**" snapped Sierra.

"I don't know why you're all possessive obsessive, but Cody and I were having a friendly argument of whether it was important that he knew how much I weighed..."

"Ah ha! It starts with weight! Then lip balm! Then your shoe size, shirt size, and... **YOUR BRA SIZE!**"

"Speaking of which," Jonesy smirked as he slipped in next to Courtney, "when do I get to know yours?"

Courtney turned around and swung her fist at him. Luckily, Wyatt intervened and pulled Jonesy out of harm's way in the nick of time.

"You tryin' to get yourself killed?" Wyatt asked him.

"Trust me," Jonesy looked at him, smiling. "She's fallin' for me!"

"Is that before or **AFTER** her right hook sends you to the hospital?"

"Look," threatened Jen, "Cody obviously wants no part of you, so why don't you just back off?"

"You wanna piece of me? Bring it!"

Sierra released Cody, who fell to the ground and started rolling around in panic, gasping for air.

_Confessional Cam - Cody_

_"I used to look forward to the day a girl would willingly let me rub my face in her boobs! But now... I fear it'll be the death of me!"_

"Back off, Sierra!" Courtney jumped in, getting between the two. "No way I'm letting you get away with roughing up one of my teammates!"

"That goes for me, too!" Trent agreed, stepping in as well.

Ty and Bridgette were on their way over, intending to help Sierra out. But she raised her hand to them, telling them their assistance was not needed.

"I'm watching you!" Sierra growled at Jen.

She kept her eyes on her self-proclaimed new rival for Cody's heart as she started headed back to her side of the field. Bridgette and Ty each grabbed an arm and continued to pull her away.

"We warned you not to get too close to Cody," Trent told Jen.

"What? That wasn't anywhere remotely near what I was doing!"

"**I GOT IT!**" Cody suddenly yelled, a plan coming to mind despite his near-death experience.

"Really?" Wyatt raised an eye suspiciously.

Cody nodded, then motioned for someone to hand him something to write with. Trent found a small stick, and he handed it to Cody, who used it to draw his plan in the sand. Meanwhile, back with the Groms...

"This is a competition!" Kelly shouted at Sierra. "Take care of your relationship issues on your own time!"

"Enough," Ty snapped at her. "We need to get back on track!"

Kelly did not take too kindly to being shut up, but she grinned and beared it since the request had come from her boyfriend.

"Good," Darth said. "Everyone back into position! Hurry! Ty?"

"Move some weight to Owen's side? Got it!"

"Sierra! Add about ten pounds to your side of the scale!"

"Whatever."

She went to do so, even though her mind was currently elsewhere. But then, out of the blue...

"**DONE!**" shouted all of Team Vets.

Attention turned to Blaineley, who had... fallen asleep on the beach chair she had been lying on, while two guys fanned her with giant palm leaves?

"Huh? Wha?" she mumbled, coming to all of a sudden.

She glanced over to the Vets, who had Wyatt balanced with Jen and 10 pounds on the small scale, Trent matching up with Courtney and 30 pounds on the medium scale, and Cody and Lo holding nearly level with Jonesy and 55 pounds of weight on the large scale. Blaineley shrugged.

"Meh... I'll assume it's been five seconds already. Vets win the challenge!"

[Team Vets $100,000 - Team Groms $25,000]

The Vets celebrated their fourth challenge win by dancing; the Groms their fourth defeat by grumbling angrily at each other.

_Confessional Cam - Geoff_

_"We trusted in Darth, and the dude let us down. Good thing he's a guy, or we'd be hoping the Vets put him in the challenge."_

_Confessional Cam - Bridgette_

_"Definitely hope Kelly gets picked for Castoff Beach. Really, **REALLY** starting to hate her as much as I hate Heather. And, trust me... that takes a lot."_

* * *

><p>Soon afterwards, Team Vets began their deliberations for whom to throw into the challenge...<p>

"Wha?" Cody gawked in shock. "You **ALL** agree with me?"

"Girl's flipped her lid," answered Jonesy. "Sierra's gotta go. For all our sakes."

Everyone nodded in agreement.

"Okay... which one of you ladies wants to take her on?"

Cody turned to the girls. Lo immediately showed her desire to refuse.

"Don't pick me! I don't stand a chance! She'd cream me!"

"Sad to say," Courtney spoke up, "she's right. Sierra has to go home today! And we need someone who's good enough to get the job done."

She then turned to Jen.

"That just leaves it between you and me, Jen."

Courtney closed her eyes, as if she was about to resign herself and be the patsy. But...

"I'll do it!"

She opened them, and surprisingly Jen had beat her to the punch.

"You sure, Jen?" Wyatt asked, a little uneasy. "The girl has it out for you."

"Which is **EXACTLY** the reason I need to do this! I'm not gonna let the issue linger like I did last time! This stops here and now! Either she goes home... or I do!"

* * *

><p>[Castoff Beach]<p>

Blaineley looked over at the Vets, trying to decide whom to pick to announce their decision. Then she spotted Cody shaking nervously...

"Cody!"

"Ack!" he squealed. "Do I have to?"

"If you wanna stay in this game, you do! And be quick about it!"

Cody gulped, then closed his eyes as he turned towards the Groms. He did not need them open to point out the person they had picked.

Sierra.

"What? No! Say it isn't so!"

"Ooh," smirked Blaineley, "somebody's on the road to Divorce Court! Which girl's facing her?"

Before Cody could speak, Jen stepped forward.

"I am!"

Sierra and Jen started staring at each other again. Blaineley scratched her head in confusion.

"I don't know what's going on, but it must be good! Alright, ladies, get over here! Jen, it's your spin!"

Jen obliged and spun the wheel. After a few revolutions, it landed on 'Ascent to Glory.'

* * *

><p>[Ascent to Glory]<p>

Both girls were set at the bottom of the tower, as Sierra was trying to survive a second straight Castoff Beach challenge... and on the same event as the first.

"I'll teach you to make small talk with my man!" growled Sierra.

"He's not my man!" Jen shook her fist in anger. "Stop saying he is!"

Blaineley blew the whistle, and the two began their climb. Once again, things started pretty evenly, each girl matching the other tug for tug. But unlike in Sierra's duel with Fin, Jen was not tiring as easily.

"Take her down!" cheered on Geoff.

"You show 'em, Jen!" barked Jonesy.

Sierra attempted to pick up the pace, pulling herself up faster... but Jen had thought of the exact same thing. The two remained neck-and-neck at 15 feet, and then at 20 feet...

"I can't look..." Cody said, covering his eyes.

Both Jen and Sierra closed in on their bells. Both of them reached up to ring theirs, and they did so... at nearly the exact same time.

"I did it!" Jen declared.

"Nuh uh!" Sierra argued. "I won!"

"I did!"

"No, I did!"

Back on the ground, each of their teams also declared victory.

"We win again!" shouted Owen happily.

"Bon voyage, Jen!" Julie waved her farewell.

"I knew Jen would win!" Courtney nodded in affirmation.

"I guess that's the last we'll see of Sierra," declared Wyatt.

But most of the others were unsure of how to act, because they could not discern who rung their bell first. They all turned to Blaineley, waiting for her to make a declaration.

"Don't look at me! I couldn't tell who won either! I guess our only choice is to make them do it again."

Suddenly, Blaineley heard a voice in her ear. It was the producer.

"We have tape? Seriously? Oh, right... we're **FILMING** this show!"

She snapped her fingers, and a few crew members ran up to her. The tapes from both cameraman filming the event were taken from them, and they began to go over the results. As that occurred, Sierra and Jen had been lowered back to the ground, both convinced that they had won - mostly because a declaration as to who actually did had not been made.

"You mean they **DON'T** know who won?" Jen shouted.

"They're checking the tape now," Jonesy told her.

"Clearly I won, right?" Sierra asked, looking at her team.

"You had to," Owen told her. "I'm sure I saw you ring yours first!"

* * *

><p>A few minutes later, the girls were out of their harnesses, and Blaineley finally walked back to the group, after a consensus decision had been reached by her, the director, and the producer.<p>

"After watching the tape many times," Blaineley said, "the winner of the challenge is... Jen."

"**HA!**" Jen shouted, pointing at Sierra. "In your face!"

Sierra shook her head in disbelief. "No! No! That can't be! I wanna see the tape!"

Blaineley fulfilled her request... and gave Sierra the tape. Sierra shot her an odd look.

"What am I supposed to watch this with? My mind?"

"If the crazy shoe fits..."

"**I AM NOT CRAZY!**"

Four interns raced in, each grabbing a hold of one of Sierra's limbs, and they hauled Sierra and the tape to the raft, which they promptly tied them to and then sent adrift.

"**CODY! HELP ME!**"

But Cody was hiding in fear, having ran over to Jen and getting behind her.

"**WE'RE GONNA HAVE A SERIOUS TALK WHEN I COME BACK!**"

Blaineley laughed. "She knows she's not coming back, right?"

"**AND KEEP YOUR HANDS OFF MY CODY, JEN! I CAN FIND OUT WHERE YOU LIVE, YOU HUSSY!**"

Jen laughed nervously, as she looked down at Cody.

"She's not serious... is she?"

Cody's silence... said it all.

"**I'LL GET YOU, GYM SOCK!**" Sierra yelled. "**I'LL GET YOU!**"

**End Episode Five**

**Author's Notes:**  
>So Jen escapes by the skin of her teeth, and '6teen' still has all of their participants alive. But even with Sierra gone, you'd recommend she take an occasional glance over her shoulder, right?<p>

**Next up:** Episode 6 - Next Thursday, July 14th, 7 pm EST!


	6. All Nighters Suck!

**"Fresh Challenge: Vets vs. Groms"**  
><strong>Story Written by Freedom Fighter<strong>

This is a weird episode. The first act is really long, and the third act? Well... I'll let it explain itself.

**Disclaimer:** All characters are the property of Fresh TV, Inc.

* * *

><p><em>20 teens, 3 weeks, $300,000 on the line<em>  
><em>And only one team to split the prize<em>

_[Blaineley]_  
><em>This is 'Fresh Challenge: Vets vs. Groms!'<em>

**-**  
><strong>Fresh Challenge: Vets vs. Groms<br>Episode Six - All-Nighters Suck! (07.14.11)**  
><strong>-<strong>

The group had just returned from Castoff Beach, and they were all trying to absorb the elimination of Sierra. Particularly...

_Confessional Cam - Jen_

_"Sierra **WAS** joking, right? I believe she can find my house about as much as I believe Blaineley's boast that everyone that gets sent out to sea is **ACTUALLY** left adrift at sea to die!"_

And still, the first thing Jen did was run upstairs to the bedroom and start turning it upside down, believing Sierra was waiting in hiding for. Courtney and Lo shook their heads in disbelief as they watched.

"I **TOLD** her not to mess with Cody," Courtney said to Lo.

"Never thought she'd be so para- **HEY!** Sierra's not hiding in my designer pink two-piece!"

Lo marched over to stop Jen from going through her clothes.

* * *

><p>Downstairs in the kitchen, Cody felt like celebrating. So he quickly put together an intimate get-together in the kitchen, pulling out snacks and candy and opening a fresh two-liter bottle of soda pop.<p>

"**WOOOOOOO!**" yelped Owen. "**PAR-TAY!**"

They were joined by Trent, Jonesy, Wyatt, Geoff, Bridgette, and Caitlin. After Cody had poured all the drinks and passed them out, he proposed a toast.

"To the exit of Sierra!" he stated. "May she never bother us - especially me - ever again! Cheers!"

"Cheers!" the others exclaimed.

They all drank up, some faster than others. Owen, Jonesy, and Geoff gulped theirs down in one gulp. Trent and Wyatt were chatting about great guitar songs as they left to go their bedroom for a second, while Cody went over to chat with Bridgette and Caitlin, with a small bowl of potato chips.

"What's up, ladies?" he asked them, with a smile on his face.

"Good to see you happy again," observed Bridgette. "Sierra can be... well..."

"Overpowering? Obsessive? Stalkerish? Insane in the membrane?"

"Heh... pretty much."

"Jonesy had someone like that after him once," Caitlin recalled. "People like that are extremely had to get rid of. I'd suggest..."

"Hoping she really **DOES** get lost at sea and never returns?" Cody finished for her, in a hopeful tone.

"I was actually gonna say try to get her to fall in love with someone else. But your idea's kinda... good... too..."

Trent and Wyatt returned, both with their own guitars in hand. They got everyone's attention by playing a few random chords. Once they were all quiet, Trent addressed them.

"I really don't have much of an opinion of Sierra, good or bad. But, since my good friend Cody is in a celebratory mood, I believe he deserves a celebratory song!"

"Thanks!" Cody said in gratitude. "What do you have in mind?"

"It's something I came up with on the way back. Ready, Wyatt?"

Wyatt nodded, then began playing a ballad-like accompaniment in the background. After a few beats, Trent began singing.

_You really thought that I was the one  
>But all I wanted was for you to be gone<br>You tried to smell me every chance you got  
>And then there's that engagement ring you bought<br>I'm too young to get married, I'm only sixteen  
>Don't wanna be the king of hearts to your queen<br>I tried to be nice, but enough is enough!_  
><em>You crossed the line when you tried to see me in the buff!<em>

_I do admit you're kinda cute  
>But I don't want any of your forbidden fruit<br>Try and get it through your thick skull  
>Me and you together, that's a load of bull!<em>  
><em>I'm glad you're gone<br>We are done  
>You're not my swan<br>I'm glad you're gone!_

Trent got a rousing ovation from the group.

"That's Trent for ya," Cody said to Bridgette and Caitlin. "He knows how to write a song, doesn't he?"

"Yeah..." sighed Caitlin, "he sure does."

Cody did a double-take upon seeing Caitlin's smitten face.

_Confessional Cam - Cody_

_"Note to self when I get home... guitar lessons! Those guys get all the chicks."_

"Oh, I know that look!" Bridgette smirked.

Bridgette grabbed Caitlin and pulled her around the counter and in the direction of Trent.

"Wait!" Caitlin shouted as she realized what was going on. "I'm not ready!"

"Trust me! Hot, single guys like him don't last long!"

Before Caitlin knew it, they were in front of Trent and Wyatt. Bridgette let go of Caitlin, then grabbed Wyatt and pulled him away.

"What? Hey!"

That left Trent and Caitlin alone to chat.

"Hi!" Trent spoke first.

"Hi," Caitlin meekly responded, before adding with a little more confidence, "I'm Caitlin. I know we've seen each other around the house, but we've never really chatted one-on-one be-"

"I'm Trent," he cut her off, before reaching over and casually brushing aside a few of Caitlin's blonde locks so he could get a better look at her eyes. "I love your eyes."

"Thanks! I love your guitar playing! You rock!"

Bridgette, Wyatt, and Cody watched the sparks fly between the duo from a distance.

"Don't they look cute together?" cooed Bridgette.

"Caitlin and Trent?" Wyatt thought aloud. "Now that you mention it... they **DO** seem to be into each other."

Trent had transitioned into explaining how he learned how to play, and Caitlin was quietly listening, ensnared by his every word.

"Bridge... can you help me win over Lo?" Wyatt asked.

"Oh!" Cody jumped in. "And me and Gwen?"

Bridgette giggled, then a put an arm around each of their shoulders.

"No offense, guys, but I'm no matchmaker. Unless they're already in love with you... I can't help you."

"Awwww..." the two whined.

* * *

><p>The next day, the remnants of the party were being cleaned up. It was already afternoon when most of the house got up, as at some point everyone had joined in, and they all had pretty much overdosed on snacks and caffeine. The result? Most of them looked pretty tired, after a few on-and-off hours of restless sleep.<p>

"That was one sick party, Cody!" Ty told him.

"Thanks!"

"Nothing compared to one of Lo's parties, though. Hers are insane, and not in the good kind of way."

Cody chuckled. "So I've ever heard. Someone drove her Jeep into the resort's pool? Classic!"

"Say," Wyatt walked up to them curiously, "anyone seen Jonesy?"

"**EEEEEEKKKKKK!**"

That scream came from Courtney upstairs, and immediately followed by a very loud slap.

"**OWWWWW!**" they heard Jonesy yell. "What was that for?"

"I was gonna wake him," Cody snickered, "but he looked so peaceful sleeping in Courtney's lap!"

The boys shared a hearty laugh... but it was one that did not last long, as the house phone began to ring. Luckily, Geoff was nearby, and he picked it up.

"Hello?"

He listened to the person on the other hand for a few seconds, then hung up.

"Well... looks like we've got a challenge tonight, bros!"

* * *

><p>The sun was about to set over the horizon, but little did the cast know that their day was about to begin, as they piled into two black, non-descript vans waiting for them in front of the house.<p>

"I dunno know about this," hesitated Bridgette.

"I concur," Darth agreed. "Very suspicious."

Despite their hunches, they climbed in with the rest of their team, who took up the first van, while the Vets filled up the second.

* * *

><p>As they relaxed, waiting to arrive at their destination, none of them were paying attention when, at one intersection, one van turned left, while the other turned right. On purpose.<p>

"I wonder what we're doing today," Wyatt thought out loud.

"Ooh!" squealed Lo. "I hope they give us some money to go shopping! Or get mani-pedis. No, wait... **BOTH!**"

Her teammates shot odd glances her way.

"What? A girl's allowed to dream, right?"

"I just hope we get there soon," winced Trent, tugging at the back of his pants. "All this bouncing up and down is giving me a wedgie!"

* * *

><p>After eleven or twelve minutes of driving, the Groms' van came to a stop. The team began to emerge, and the first ones out were Geoff and Ty.<p>

"What the..." Geoff scratched his head, in confusion.

"We're... back at the house?" Ty stated, baffled about their location.

"Our driver must've gotten lost," commented Julie.

"Lost enough to drive back to the house?" Darth looked at her. "Not so fast, my sweet."

Once they were all out, one of the interns also hopped out, with an HP Touchpad in hand. But before he could say anything, Kelly reached in and snatched it from her.

"Aww, you shouldn't have," she said as she tried to turn it on.

"How come she's the only one who gets one?" complained Caitlin. "I want one! Gimme one!"

The female intern sighed. "It's the company's. We're only loaning it to you temporarily. The hostess will call you within the next 30 minutes explaining your challenge... thingy."

"The challenge is here?" Geoff asked, pointing to the house. "Why?"

"Ugh! I don't know! Our job was to take you to the challenge and give you this tablet! You think we're getting paid to do this?"

Everyone nodded their heads. The intern slapped herself in the forehead.

"I really need to think about college," she grumbled as she got back in the van.

The van pulled away, and the eight teenagers headed back inside the house, waiting for instructions... of any kind.

* * *

><p>Almost simultaneously, the van carrying Team Vets had arrived at its destination. They all got out and found themselves standing in the parking lot of...<p>

"Key West Community College?" Jonesy read a sign aloud before groaning in dismay. "We got out of high school a few weeks later to skip ahead to college?"

"As if someone four-year institution would accept **YOU**!" claimed Courtney. "And, really? A community college? They couldn't drop us off at Stanford or something?"

"That's on the other side of the country," Jen reminded her. "Duh!"

Courtney gasped, before firing back, "Don't you 'duh' me!"

"Don't get your panties in a bunch..." they heard Blaineley shout at them.

They saw Blaineley hop out of a red sportscar parked in the lot, just a few spaces down.

"Today's, or rather, tonight's challenge, has nothing to do with you getting smarter! In fact, you all can just shut off your brains entirely. 'Cause you won't need them at all!"

Lo started running her hands through her hair. Wyatt saw her and went over to whisper to her.

"Uh... she didn't mean literally."

"I know!" Lo shot back, stopping her actions immediately. "I was... just... fixing my hair! That's all."

"Well," Blaineley smiled, "I think you just wasted your time, Lauren."

A pair of interns walked up to the team, each of them holding a bunch of green-colored sweatbands. One of them slipped one onto Lo's head.

"**EEK!**" she screamed, pushing him away. "You troll!"

She then got an icky feeling as she felt moisture dripping from the sweatband.

"Did you just give me a **USED** one? Gross!"

As the rest of the bands were distributed, one per person, a third intern appeared, holding a small five-page packet - which he began giving out as well.

"Tonight, you'll be playing Humans versus Zombies!" Blaineley told them. "And guess which side you are?"

"Yes!" Jonesy pumped his fist excitedly. "We're zombies! That means I get to touch girls!"

Courtney promptly kicked him in the left shin.

"Ow!" he screamed. "I didn't even say **WHERE**!"

"All the rules are there," Blaineley told them, "but the only thing that matters is... you must turn all the Groms, or the Humans, into Zombies by 6 a.m. Do so, and you win the challenge. They'll be waiting for you back at the house."

"Okay," Cody wondered, "so... how do we get back to the house?"

The van that had brought them there shut all its doors and screeched its way out of the parking lot. Blaineley hopped back in the car she had come in.

"Better start walking, suckers!"

Her car then drove off, leaving the seven Vets alone with the darkness of night beginning to set in.

[Time left in the challenge: 10 hours and counting]

* * *

><p>Five minutes later, back at the beach house, the entirety of Team Groms was sitting at the dining room table, bored out of their minds as they were still waiting for instructions. Suddenly, the tablet they had gotten began ringing like a phone. The team gathered around Darth, who was holding it, as he pressed the answer button.<p>

Blaineley appeared, via a live video call.

"Groms, the challenge has begun!" she told them. "Good luck!"

"**WHAT?**" they all yelled.

[Challenge 6: Groms vs. The Undead]

"But you didn't even tell us what the challenge is!" argued Bridgette.

"Yes, I did!"

"**NO, YOU DIDN'T!**" the entire team yelled.

"Oh. Really?"

Everyone glared at her.

"Okay, okay! You're playing a game of Humans vs. Zombies. You guys are the Humans; to win the challenge, at least one of you must be human at 6 a.m. tomorrow morning; all you need to probably survive is in a giant box we just placed at your front door. **GOOD LU-UCK!**"

Owen, Geoff, and Ty ran out front and found the box, which was gift wrapped for them. On top was a note, which Ty read aloud.

"Do not open until after you've picked one person to sit out this challenge. Note that this person must wait for a ride outside to secret location for the night, and will be the only one guaranteed to sleep tonight."

He and Geoff immediately looked over at Owen.

"Sit this one out, my friend?" Ty asked him.

Owen looked disappointed, but decided to accept the offer.

_[End Act One]_

* * *

><p>A few minutes later, the entire team waved goodbye to Owen, who was being taken away to safe haven. Once the car pulled away, the team, already with their sweatbands on - theirs orange in color - went back inside. They all moved to the boys' downstairs bedroom, where weapons were passed out. Foam dart guns and balled-up socks. Julie put on a white armband on her right arm that had a red cross on it.<p>

"Julie's the healer," Ty told the group, "so, no matter what, there needs to be someone with her at all times! If she becomes a zombie, we're done for!"

Geoff and Darth were given two of their three walkie talkies. They then departed with their respective girlfriends, Bridgette and Julie, all in one group. That left Ty with his girl, Kelly, and the lone stag, Caitlin. Caitlin wielded the team's third walkie talkie, while Kelly retained control of the tablet.

_Confessional Cam - Kelly_

_"Don't know what that crazy hostess is planning, but we're ready in case she decides to try and screw our team over."_

* * *

><p>The Groms waited for what seemed like forever for the Vets to show up, unaware that their opponents had to get back to the house on foot first. Ty's group was waiting outside, hiding right at the entrance in the fence leading to the street. He occasionally took a peek out, looking for the enemy.<p>

[Time left in the challenge: 7 hours, 37 minutes]

"Someone's coming!" Ty finally announced. "Positions!"

They retreated from the fence and hid behind some bushes.

"Finally! We're here!"

Caitlin realized who was speaking immediately. It was Jen. She tried to peek through the bushes and saw that she was with Wyatt, Cody, and Lo.

"Remember," Jen told the others. "The **ONLY** way we're going to get them is if we sneak up on them!"

"**TAKE THAT!**" yelled Caitlin, popping up out of the bushes.

She tossed a sock ball at Cody, but her throw was so weak that it fell well short.

"Man, that was weak!" chuckled Cody.

Cody and Wyatt charged for Caitlin. She panicked, and ran away, along the side of the house.

"Wait!" Jen warned them. "It could be a..."

Once they had run past, Ty and Kelly popped up, and, both armed with dart guns, they both pegged the boys in the back, freezing them for 10 minutes. But not before Cody had managed to tag Caitlin on the shoulder, turning her into a zombie. Ty and Kelly then turned to fire at Jen and Lo. The former ran for cover; the latter... played the role of 'deer in the headlights' to a T.

"Heh heh," snickered Kelly. "This is fun."

They decided not to go after Jen, whom they allowed to enter the house, and they instead walked towards Caitlin, who had just finished putting on her green sweatband over her orange one. But before she could do anything, Kelly hit Caitlin in the shoulder with a sock ball.

"Sorry," Ty apologized for Kelly as they walked past Caitlin. "We'll find Julie for you, okay?"

* * *

><p>Jen searched the house all by her lonesome self, being calm and careful despite the fact she was supposed to be portraying a zombie. She eventually got upstairs, making her way to the master bedroom. But then she got ambushed, as she was bombarded by foam darts and sock balls.<p>

"Ow!" she screamed. "You know, I'm still only frozen ten minutes no matter how many times you guys hit me!"

Geoff and Bridgette came out of their hiding place, on the other side of the bed, high-fiving each other happily. They then picked up their darts and ran out, leaving an irate Jen behind.

* * *

><p>[Time left in the challenge: 6 hours, 30 minutes]<p>

Ty and Kelly were now hiding together in a closet somewhere in the house.

"Oh, Ty," Kelly said slyly, "you thinking what I'm thinking!"

Ty responded... by yawning.

"**TY!**"

"What? It's 11:30, Kel!"

Suddenly, the tablet Kelly was holding began to ring. She and Ty rushed to answer it, hoping none of the Vets were nearby.

"Hey!" Blaineley greeted them.

"You **TRYING** to sabotage us?" Kelly screeched.

"Good news! A safe zone has been established on the bed in the master bedroom! Zombies cannot enter a safe zone; humans cannot fire any weapons while in the safe zone. And at least one human **MUST** be outside the safe zone at all times! Spread the word, peeps!"

The call ended, and Ty reached for his radio to tell the others. Then, out of the blue, the closet door opened, and Jen charged in for them...

* * *

><p>[Time left in the challenge: 6 hours, 8 minutes]<p>

Finally, after nearly four hours, Courtney, Jonesy, and Trent finally arrived in the front yard.

"This is what we get for following you!" Courtney pointed angrily at Jonesy.

"Me?" Jonesy shot back. "You kept insisting we were going the wrong way each time I made a suggestion, and **THEN** you forced us to follow **YOU**!"

"Do you guys ever stop?" Trent glared at them, annoyed at having to hear them bicker for the past four hours.

"If that's the way you feel," Courtney yelled, "then it's every zombie for themselves!"

"Fine!"

"Fine!"

Jonesy and Courtney went opposite directions around the outside of the house. Trent sighed, then walked for the front door. He opened it, and was greeted by a dart to the head.

* * *

><p>Elsewhere on the first floor, Caitlin, still a zombie, was hiding under the dining room table, either trying to get the jump on her ex-teammates, or just trying to lie low.<p>

She then got pegged in the right arm with a foam dart.

"Ow!" she whined, rubbing where the dart hit her. "That hurt!"

Darth and Julie slid in next to her.

"Julie's only allowed to heal you when you've been frozen."

Julie tapped Caitlin on the hand.

"There," Julie told her. "Welcome back."

"So you mean I'm human again?" Caitlin squealed.

She switched headbands again, but just as she did, Caitlin felt someone else's hand tag her on the ankle.

"**IT'S A TRAP!**" Darth yelled.

Darth and Julie scampered away, while Caitlin reacted to the second tagging of her by kicking at the person.

"Yowch! Hey!"

Caitlin stopped, recognizing the voice and suddenly feeling like kicking herself.

"Trent?"

"Yep..." he uttered, "I think you hit me in the nose!"

_Confessional Cam - Caitlin_

_"So much for a little Trelin."_

* * *

><p>Geoff and Bridgette were in bed, their bodies partially covering their bodies. But they were not doing what you think they would be doing... especially with Jen, Courtney, and Ty - the last currently on the zombie side - surrounding them on all sides.<p>

"This would be very romantic," Bridgette stated calmly, before yelling, "**IF WE WEREN'T ABOUT TO BECOME PART OF THE UNDEAD!**"

She then pulled out a walkie talkie, and tried to radio the others yet again.

"Why is no one answering? Are we the only ones left?"

"Chill, babe," Geoff said, relaxing. "They can't touch us while we're in the safe zone!"

[Time left in the challenge: 4 hours, 45 minutes]

Suddenly, they heard a ringing sound. Coming from the tablet, which was in Ty's possession. He answered it, and everyone in the room listened up as Blaineley announced a new rule change.

"Attention! The safe zone in the master bedroom is now dissolved! Happy hunting, my zombie overlords!"

Blaineley hung up, and Jen and Courtney smiled evilly. Geoff and Bridgette gulped in fear, accompanied by an ear-piercing scream by the latter.

"**EEEEEEEEEKKKKKKKKKK!**"

_[End Act Two]_

* * *

><p>The ranks of the 'humans' were about to be reduced even more as Jen and Courtney climbed onto the bed to get Geoff and Bridgette.<p>

"This isn't fair!" Geoff screamed as he hugged Bridgette tightly. "We didn't even get to make out!"

Bridgette glared at him. "You're thinking about horror tropes **NOW**?"

Courtney and Jen dived at them. Geoff sacrificed himself, pushing Bridgette out of the bed. His plan would have worked... if she had not landed on the floor a few feet away from Ty.

"Please..." pleaded Bridgette, "be gentle!"

Before Ty could tag her, though, he was clocked in the head with a dart by, of all people, Kelly, who was standing in the doorway. She then quickly turned her gun on Jen and Courtney and got both of them before they could get to her. With the trio frozen and Geoff in the midst of switching headbands, Kelly ran in, grabbed Bridgette and the tablet from Ty, and pulled them out of the room.

"But... my boyfriend's back there!"

"So's mine, blondie, but they're evil now! As much as I hate to admit it..."

They fled down the stairs, looking to get away as they tried to figure out what to do now.

* * *

><p>[Time left in the challenge: 3 hours, 10 minutes]<p>

Another call from Blaineley, who was on the phone even though it was apparent she had been sleeping and she had not taken the time to go through make-up...

"You guys are still... yawn... alive?"

"Can it!" Kelly growled, with Bridgette next to her.

"So I suppose you girls **DON'T** want a new safe zone?"

"Please!" Bridgette pleaded once more. "We need a break!"

Blaineley relented. "Fine! There's a small pavement square on the sidewalk leading up to the front door that's been marked with yellow tape. That's the new safe zone."

She then revealed she had a fourth walkie talkie, which was on and broadcasting.

"If any zombies heard that, get them before they get there!"

Kelly and Bridgette wanted to scream, but they had no time. The good news was that they were already outside. The bad? They were in the backyard... and they only had two darts and one sock ball between them.

"If we don't make it there alive," Kelly prefaced, "I'd like to say, for the record, Bridgette..."

"Yes?"

"I never liked you."

Bridgette frowned.

"C'mon... let's go."

They broke for the front yard. To their surprise, the only person waiting for them was Julie, inside the safe zone. And her orange headband meant that she was still a human. Kelly and Bridgette joined her before anyone else could show up.

"Where have you been?" both of them asked Julie.

"Hiding," Julie replied, holding up her walkie talkie. "Are we all that's left?"

The trio looked at each other.

"Wouldn't Blaineley tell us that?" Bridgette thought aloud.

"Who cares?" Kelly said as she lied down and tried to arrange her body in such a way that she was still in the square.

"You tryin' to sleep?" Julie asked.

"Yeah. And?"

Bridgette and Julie glared at her.

"What? We all know I need the beauty sleep! And as the only beauty here..."

"**HELPPPPP!**" a girl screamed, interrupting Kelly.

They all turned to the front door, and saw Caitlin running out of it. Unfortunately, Jen was right behind her. She dived for her friend, getting a hold of Caitlin's left ankle and bringing her down - thankfully, on the grass and not on the pavement.

"Oh, **COME ON!**" she growled at Jen.

Bridgette turned to Julie. She seemed bent on not helping. Again.

"I've healed her seven times! I'm not risking my life for eight!"

Suddenly, the tablet rang again. Kelly did not feel like reaching for it, so Bridgette picked it up and answered it.

"Attention, humans!" Blaineley told them. "According to the rules, one human must be outside the safe zone at all times. Fix it now, or you forfeit the challenge!"

Bridgette and Julie immediately knew what to do. They pushed Kelly out of the zone before she could resist. Jen rubbed her hands in anticipation.

"Oh, I've been waiting for this all night!"

Kelly hastily got to her feet and ran away screaming, with Jen in close pursuit. They soon disappeared around the side of the house, and Bridgette and Julie both sat down, smiling happily.

"She runs fast for a dead tired girl," observed Julie.

* * *

><p><strong>HONK! HONK!<strong>

Bridgette and Julie were blasted awake by the sound of bus horns. They had apparently fallen asleep, with their legs sticking outside the safe zone. Blaineley was staring angrily at them, and the sky was already brightened by the rising sun.

"**WHAT KINDA LAME ENDING IS THAT?**"

"Huh?" Bridgette rubbed her eyes. "What happened?"

"The Groms win."

[Team Vets $100,000 - Team Groms $50,000]

"The challenge ended half an hour ago. Not that it matters. **EVERYONE DECIDED TO GO TO SLEEP INSTEAD OF FINISHING IT!**"

"Yeah," Julie cheered unenthusiastically. "Now let us go back to zzzzzzz..."

Julie had fallen back asleep. Bridgette was about to as well, but...

"Oh no, you don't!" Blaineley grabbed her by the ear. "The producers won't let me redo the last three hours, but they had no qualms about me doing Castoff Beach RIGHT NOW! So get everyone else on the bus in ten minutes... **OR I'M SENDING YOU HOME, SURFER GIRL!**"

* * *

><p>[Castoff Beach]<p>

Bridgette took Blaineley's threat seriously, and half an hour later, the remaining 15 competitors, including Owen, whom they had picked up from his hotel - and he looked as if he had not gotten much sleep as he struggled to stay awake as well despite being in a zombie-free zone - were on Castoff Beach. Deliberations had occurred for the Groms on the way, and it was Bridgette who was chosen to announce who would be in the elimination challenge.

"Nothing personal," Bridgette started, before letting out a tired yawn, "but we picked Wyatt. I... I'm too tired to remember why."

Wyatt was actually asleep, somehow sleeping upright with his back to Lo, who was doing the same. Trent nudged him awake and helped him to his feet. Lo fell backwards onto the sand, but she did not wake up even after hitting it so roughly.

"And..." Blaineley motioned for Bridgette to continue.

"Oh. I think we forgot to pick someone."

She slowly stumbled over to a guy on her team at random, and tugged him forward. It was Darth, who was too exhausted to resist.

"Is this the line for the new War Star Galaxy Force movie?"

"Yeah, sure," Blaineley answered, rolling her eyes, then pushing Darth to the wheel. "Spin. Wheel. Now."

Darth complied, but afterwards he fell to the floor, going back to sleep. The wheel came to a stop on 'Remember the Sequence.'

* * *

><p>[Remember the Sequence]<p>

Wyatt and Darth were on opposite sides of a wall, facing each other. On the wall itself were five different colored circles, arranged in a pentagon: red, blue, yellow, black, and white.

"A simple challenge even a half-awake person can do," explained Blaineley.

Good, because Wyatt and Darth were both struggling to keep their eyes open and listen to Blaineley, and almost everyone else had pretty much succumbed to the call of needed slumber.

"Players alternate turns, pressing the colored circles in the order they light up. With each new round, the sequence grows longer! First person to press an incorrect button, or take more than five seconds to input the next circle... says bye-bye!"

She walked over to Darth and got in his face.

"You have first pick. Nod your head if you wanna go first, shake it if you wanna go second!"

Darth blinked, yawned, then nodded his head.

"You saw him! Darth is up first!"

Darth opened his eyes up long enough to look at the board and see the yellow circle light up for a half a second. He reached forward and, after a couple seconds, pushed the yellow button.

"That's one! Now, for Wyatt!"

"Need... coffee..." groaned Wyatt.

On his side, the yellow circle lit up, then the black one. But Wyatt missed seeing them, and a few seconds later, he heard a buzzer buzz.

"Ugh!" Blaineley groaned, slapping herself in the face. "Again, worst ending **EVER**!"

Wyatt collapsed, still unsure of what was going on as his eyes begged for him to close shut. Blaineley signaled to the hired help, and Wyatt was taken off the challenge platform and dragged to the raft.

"Darth wins..." Blaineley declared, not that anyone was awake to hear her, "you know, I'm not doing this to **NO** audience! I'll be in my trailer when you sleep-deprived teenagers decide I'm important enough to be awake for!"

Blaineley marched off set, leaving the snoring cast behind. Wyatt, to his credit, curled up into a little ball upon being placed on a raft. He closed his eyes, apparently dreaming about going on a cruise. Little did he know that he was on one now, as the interns set him adrift at sea. Before he floated out of sight, though, he seemed to mumble something aloud in his sleep...

"Hey, Lo? Wanna watch me do my 'King of the World' bit?"

**End Episode Six**

**Author's Notes:**  
>I suppose this is an ending you'll be talking about for awhile. And probably not for good reason? I'm not even sure I realize how stupefying it is... and probably won't until the start of the next episode, like the remaining 14 cast members will as well. Um...<p>

I don't know what else to say, except... six people out, six to go?

**Next up:** Episode 7 - Next Thursday, July 21st, 7 pm EST!


	7. One Way to Get You Gone

**"Fresh Challenge: Vets vs. Groms"**  
><strong>Story Written by Freedom Fighter<strong>

So a major plotline comes to a resolution this week... and someone's place in the game will be gone when all's said and done...

**Disclaimer:** All characters are the property of Fresh TV, Inc.

* * *

><p><em>20 teens, 3 weeks, $300,000 on the line<em>  
><em>And only one team to split the prize<em>

_[Blaineley]_  
><em>This is 'Fresh Challenge: Vets vs. Groms!'<em>

**-**  
><strong>Fresh Challenge: Vets vs. Groms<br>Episode Seven - One Way to Get You Gone (07.21.11)**  
><strong>-<strong>

Due to the exhaustion of all the cast members from the previous challenge, they all went right back to sleep upon returning to their living quarters. It was not until much later in the day that reactions to Wyatt's exit began pouring in.

_Confessional Cam - Jonesy_

_"**HA HA HA HA!** Wyatt lost to **DARTH**? How lame can you be to lose to him? **HA HA HA HA!**"_

_Confessional Cam - Jen_

_"I still can't believe Bridgette picked Wyatt. She's smart enough to realize Trent, Jonesy, or even Cody are bigger threats! Something's not right here, but I can't quite put my finger on it."_

_Confessional Cam - Lo_

_"I shouldn't be feeling this bad about Wyatt being kicked off the island! After all, I'm dating Reef now, not Wyatt! If Reef ever finds his way back to land again! But if not, I guess if Wyatt is still available... when he... gets. Okay, who's trying to maroon all the cute boys around here?"_

* * *

><p>Kelly was alone in the girls-only bedroom, writing in her diary.<p>

"Everything's going according to plan," she murmured to herself.

"Kel?" Ty peeked into the room, looking up at his girlfriend.

"What's up, hon?"

"A bunch of us are gonna go sightseeing. Wanna come?"

"Sure! Anything for you, Ty!"

Kelly closed her diary, stuck it underneath her pillow, then climbed down the ladder and out of the room.

* * *

><p>A little while later, a large group that, in addition to Ty and Kelly, included Jen, Cody, Darth, Julie, Caitlin, and Bridgette, was out in the front yard. Geoff, Trent, and Jonesy were also there, but they had different plans.<p>

"You sure you guys don't want to come?" Cody asked them.

"Nah!" Geoff declined. "Trent and I need to make a food run. We wiped the pantry with our party the other day."

"Unless you guys want you-know-who to start feeding us," Trent suggested, hinting at an unsavory option.

"Knowing our hostess, she probably hoarks in the food," Julie commented ironically.

"Where you off to, Jonesy?" Caitlin asked her friend.

"Gonna go babe-hunting down by the beach," he replied.

"Shoulda seen that coming," commented Jen.

Jonesy started walking away, waving goodbye to the group.

* * *

><p>It did not take long for Jonesy to walk the few blocks to the beach, but to his disappointment, they were not that many girls around for him to pick up.<p>

"Man. Must be too late in the day."

But all hope was not lost, as he spotted a blonde beauty lying face down on a blanket and wearing nothing but a red bikini top and a matching-colored thong.

"Hubba hubba... this might not be a bust after all! Besides, I love me some older women!"

He strutted over to introduce himself to the fair maiden. Once he got over there, he put on his best smile and leaned on an umbrella that was shading the woman from direct exposure to the sun.

"The day is still young, and so am I! Why don't you teach me the finer ways of romance. You be the teacher, and I'll be your willing student, if you catch my drift!"

He wanted to say more, but he was pushing on the umbrella a bit too hard. It fell over, and consequently, so did he. He picked himself up, spitting out a few grains of sand that had gotten into his mouth, and he heard the woman break out in hysterical laughter.

"**HA HA, OH MY GOSH!** If that's your best pick-up line, no wonder your girlfriend moved away from you!"

The woman flipped over and lowered the sunglasses that were covering her eyes, revealing herself to be Blaineley. Jonesy stood there stunned, unsure of what was the most damning: that he looked like a doofus falling over, that his pick-up line just got dissed, or that he just tried to pick up Blaineley.

His brain finally decided upon the third, and his appropriate response was to... turn his head and throw up in disgust. The hostess sat up, obviously not pleased.

"Hey! I'll have you know I'm a desirable, single woman, whom any man would **LOVE** to get to spend some time with. I'm a celebrity, after all."

_Confessional Cam - Jonesy_

_"Normally, I'd kill to get the chance to score someone like Blaineley. But I've heard the rumors about her... and they're not pretty."_

Jonesy laughed nervously. "Look, this is all just a big mistake..."

"Really?" Blaineley asked as she got to her feet, revealing that she had quite a large stomach for someone claiming to be a 'size zero.'

"Okay," Jonesy said as he covered his eyes, "did **NOT** need to see that."

Blaineley took a deep breath to try and suck her belly, but that alone could only hide so much.

"You **DO** realize this particular beach is off-limits to everyone but the production crew, right? You were told that on the very first day by the producers! I can get you kicked off the show for trespassing, you know."

"Yeah... but you wouldn't do that to me, right? I'm Jonesy! I'm the 'it' guy!"

Blaineley smirked. Jonesy realized that he was in trouble, and he quickly dropped to his knees and started begging.

"Please! I don't wanna go home yet! There's gotta be some kind of deal we can work out!"

"Well... there is one thing."

Blaineley walked alongside Jonesy and whispered something in his ear. Once she was done, he shot an odd glance at her.

"Really? Just do that?"

"Uh huh. Do it, and you stay on the show."

"It's a deal!"

Jonesy shook Blaineley's hand, sealing the deal.

_Confessional Cam - Blaineley_

_"I love it when someone 'volunteers' to do your dirty work for you..."_

* * *

><p>Back at the house...<p>

"I know it's around here somewhere..."

Lo was in the girls' bedroom, searching through her clothes for something...

"Emma's gonna freak if I've lost it! Especially since I secret borrowed it from her..."

She then randomly turned towards Kelly's half of her bunk bed.

"I bet Kelly took it. That'd be just like her!"

Lo climbed up there and began to search Kelly's bedsheets. But the only thing she found up there that did not belong was...

"A diary? And it's unlocked!"

She picked it up and looked at the cover.

"I know I shouldn't. But..."

Curiosity and mischief got the best of her, as she opened the diary up and started flipping through it. Lo discovered most of it was either Kelly pining about one day marrying Ty and weaseling her way into the family fortune or Kelly scheming up ways to torture Lo. She was not happy about anything in, but it also was exactly what she expected to find in the diary.

But then she came across the most recent entries, starting with one that was written a week ago that she read aloud...

"'I love how Fin is jealous raging on Ridgemount macking on Reef! She knows she's going home tonight, so she came to me and asked me if that happens to make Ridgemount's life here miserable!'"

Lo became angrier and angrier as she discovered Kelly was responsible for the chair incident... and for helping getting Reef and Wyatt both booted from the game. Before she could turn the page again to see what her nemesis had planned next, she heard someone clapping from the doorway. She turned that way, and saw Kelly standing there.

"Looks like somebody learned how to be a snooper!"

Lo slid down and stomped over to Kelly, the diary gripped tightly in her left hand.

"You monster!" Lo exclaimed. "I can't believe you..."

"...did all this?" Kelly finished. "Then you don't know me very well, do you?"

"Wait until everyone finds out about this! Especially Ty!"

"Go ahead. And tell them you found out by peeking at my diary! It's a given everyone will stop trusting me. But by blabbing, you'll guarantee no one will trust you, either."

Lo wanted to strangle Kelly right there and then, but she knew she could not. She knew she was right, anyway.

"Then there's only one thing I can do," Lo decided.

She shoved the diary back in Kelly's arms, then made a declaration.

"The very next Castoff Beach! You. Me. We're ending this."

"Already? I still had a few more ideas of how to ruin you even more, but since you're in such a hurry to get out of here... I accept your challenge!"

With that, Lo walked out of the room. Kelly smiled. She had her enemy exactly where she wanted her.

_[End Act One]_

* * *

><p>The next morning, the teams arrived at the location of the challenge, and saw a very intricate rope obstacle course waiting for them. Immediately, a few of them groaned in disgust.<p>

"What's up, everyone?" greeted Blaineley as she walked up to the group. Anyway, today's challenge is gonna be a doozy! It's called 'Beach Breakout!'"

She began the explanation by pointing to two identical jungle gym-like structures made entirely of rope and wooden support posts.

"The challenge begins in there! Each team will be chained together and tangled in that pseudo web. You must untangle yourselves and escape that mini-maze."

She then described the rest of the course in detail...

"Once out, you'll have to scale up a ten-foot wall. Once up top, you will reach a safety deposit box. Inside it are two keys, which will undo two of the five locks binding your team together. Once those locks are undone, you'll ride the zipline over a deep mud pit, back down to the ground. Next up is a mini-puzzle, in which you'll have to come up with three numerical answers, which represent the combination of a safe which holds the third and fourth keys. After those keys have been retrieved and their locks have been undone, you can then proceed to the next segment, which has a series of limbo bars you must go under. Be forewarned! Knock any of the bars off, and the entire team will have to return to the start of the section and do it all again! Lastly, there's a giant hamster wheel which is attached to a rope running to and up a flag pole, which has a flag hanging at the top... which has the **LAST** key taped to it. The two people still chained together at that juncture are the only ones allowed to run on the wheel! Once you've gotten the last key down, undo the final lock, and then sprint for the finish line! The first team to have its entire team across the line, unchained, wins!"

"Whoa," gasped Cody, "that sounds like a lot!"

"It is! I hope you all came ready to compete."

"I was born ready!" stated Courtney proudly. "I'll do anything to win!"

Blaineley smirked. "That's good to know."

* * *

><p>[Challenge 7: Beach Breakout]<p>

"Really?" Courtney hissed at the hostess. "**REALLY?**"

She was pointing out the fact that they had been forced to change into prison jumpsuits - in their respective team colors, of course.

"I have to agree with Court," Lo pointed out, "No self-respecting person would be seen out in public wearing these drab things!"

"Too bad!" Blaineley told her. "This is a TV show, remember? Everyone in the world will get to see you look like jailbait!"

She left Lo to think about how her fashion reputation was about to take a nosedive, and walked over to the Groms. Caitlin and Bridgette were standing outside the starting structure, having been chosen by their team to sit out this challenge since they were two people up, while the others were inside, waiting for the start signal.

"Why are **YOU** out here?" Blaineley glared at Bridgette, demanding an answer.

"Because my team respects me!" defiantly answered Bridgette. "Unlike a certain reality show hostess!"

"Blah blah, whatevs! Hit the sidelines, outcast!"

Blaineley walked off to begin the challenge, and Bridgette was seething mad as the hostess sauntered off.

"She's such a... **UGH!** I can't even say that word out loud!"

Bridgette stomped over to the side of the course. Caitlin wished her team good luck, then followed her fellow blonde off.

"Let's get this show on the road!" Blaineley shouted, pulling out a whistle and blowing it.

They went to work, trying to untangle their chains from the posts it was wrapped around. Darth took command for the Groms, trying to make up for his previous debacle.

"Geoff, help me pull Julie through that gap between Owen and Kelly!"

Geoff grabbed Julie's left arm while Darth got her right, and the two of them gently tugged Julie through the hole.

"Okay, Ty and Kelly, between Owen's legs!"

"Eeeww!" winced Kelly.

"Just do it!" Ty said, getting down on his knees.

As things were going fairly well for the Groms, Kelly getting a whiff of Owen's behind notwithstanding... the Vets, on the other hand...

"I think Courtney needs to go in there," Trent pointed, "between Jonesy and the post."

"What?" Courtney shouted back. "Why me? Cody, you go through it!"

"Hello!" Cody exclaimed. "I'm on the other side!"

As the Vets tried to get their bearings, the Groms were making major progress. The only entanglement they had left was right in the center of their chain, between Julie and Geoff.

"Make the hole bigger!" Darth ordered. "Get closer!"

The team got close together, enlarging the hole enough for someone to get through. Geoff went through it first, then he turned to help Kelly, who in turn got Ty in and out.

"Owen, go!" Darth shouted at him, before turning to everyone else, "make sure to go through the exact same holes Owen does, lest we get tangled up!"

Owen started pulling ropes aside to get his big frame through, leading his team slowly but surely out of the web. Once Owen emerged through the far end, he held the ropes up for the rest of his team to follow.

"Groms are first out of the maze," Blaineley announced. "Vets still trying to get untangled!"

Jonesy was kneeling on the ground, smiling as both Lo and Courtney were being lifted over his head and behind him.

"Stop smiling!" Lo shouted at him. "You're not allowed to enjoy this!"

"What can I say? The view from here is great!"

Courtney kicked Jonesy in the back of the head as she was being let down on the other side.

"**OW!**"

Eventually, the Vets did get themselves untangled, and they headed for the exit, with Jen leading the way. Ahead, the Groms were in the process of scaling the ten-foot wall. Ty was already at the top, and he reached out to get Kelly up the last few rope lengths. Geoff was halfway up already, and his girlfriend cheered him on from the sidelines.

"Go, Geoff! Attack that wall!"

Geoff got there relatively easy, and Julie was not far behind as Jen reached the end of the rope web and was egging the rest of her team to follow her through.

"Let's go, people! Come on, come on!"

By the time the Vets had all gotten out and reached the wall, the Groms were almost all completely up. All except for Owen, as the five up top were working together to pull him up.

"**PULL!**" Ty shouted. "We can do it, guys! Pull!"

Jen got to the rope and started climbing...

"Faster, Jen!" Courtney yelled. "Move it!"

"What does it **LOOK** like I'm doing?" Jen screeched back.

Jen got to the top, and so did Trent, before the Groms could get Owen all the way up. The Groms had no time to rest as they ran up a small series of ramps that took them another ten feet up. As promised, waiting on table at the end were two safety deposit boxes. Ty tossed the lid aside and pulled out the two keys. He took one and tried it on the lock keeping him and Kelly together. When it did not work, he passed it to her and tried the second key.

"What's with these locks?" Kelly asked as she struggled to pull the first key out after discovering it did not work on the lock connecting her to Geoff. "They're, like, rusted and junk!"

Behind them, the Vets were making up some time. But Lo was the last one in line, and her lack of upper body strength was making it tough for her to climb at any decent speed.

"Cody! Jonesy!"

Trent had a hold of the rope and was calling the other boys over to help him pull Lo up. Back with the Groms, they had managed to find the correct locks for their keys, as the one linking Geoff to Julie came undone, as did the one connecting Darth to Owen.

"Zipline!" Darth shouted.

"How do we do this?" Geoff asked, showing he was still attached to both Ty and Kelly. "Can it support three people?"

"It's gonna have to!" Kelly told him, as she jumped on Geoff's back and straddled him, her legs crossed over his stomach.

Ty had no choice but to wrap his limbs around Geoff the opposite way, facing Geoff, with Ty resting his butt on Kelly's face.

"This isn't weird at all," Ty said sarcastically.

"I don't care!" Kelly huffed. "Geoff, don't let go! Or else!"

Geoff reached up for the zipline bar, and his teammates watched as he jumped off the edge and the trio went sliding down, screaming all the way. Somehow, they reached the pad at the bottom without anyone falling off, to their relief. Once they were clear, Darth and Julie both grabbed a hold of the second bar and zipped down the line.

As Owen waited for them to reach the line, the Vets reached their box and started working with their two keys.

"**YES!**" Courtney yelped with glee, as one of the keys undid the lock chaining her to Jonesy.

After a few failed attempts, they used process of elimination to find that the other key unlocked the chain connecting Trent to Jen. They ran over to the ziplines just as Owen took off.

"**BANZAI!**" he yelled.

The line began to dip downward because of his weight, and his team quickly became worried he would reach the bottom too low, and ram into the landing pad. That concern dissipated, though, when Owen lost his grip halfway down and fell screaming into the deep mud pit. The resulting splash sent mud flying a pretty far distance, all the way over to Darth and Kelly, who had mud splatter over them from the neck down.

"Mud's a good color for you, Kel!" Lo shouted from way up top.

Kelly growled angrily as Geoff and Ty raced past her to help Owen, who was trying to climb out of the pit. Meanwhile, Jen wasted no time, as she took her solo ride down the line before anyone could object. The rest of the Vets had to figure out who would go next as Jen reached the bottom safely - just as Owen was pulled from the pit.

"Groms still ahead going to the numerical puzzles!" commentated Blaineley as they ran to said obstacle. "Can the Vets catch up? Stay tuned, folks!"

_[End Act Two]_

* * *

><p>Up top, Courtney had wrapped her arms underneath of Trent's, and her legs around his midsection. Trent grabbed a hold of the bar, and he ran forward, the two forced by fate to make the ride down together.<p>

"**EEEEEEEEEE!**" Courtney screamed in fright.

As they came down, the Groms reached the platform where the puzzle was, with Darth and Kelly both having pushed most of the mud off of their bodies. Ty got there first and read the clues aloud.

"The combination to the safe is made up of three numbers, which are the following numbers. The first is the number of black-haired teens on Team Vets at the start of the game. The second is the number of episodes in a typical season of 'Total Drama.' The third is the... number of minutes it takes each morning on average for Bridgette to do her hair?"

The team turned to Geoff for the answer to the third question.

"What? Am I **SUPPOSED** to know that?"

Back with the Vets...

"Why do we have to do it this way?" asked Jonesy.

"Like heck I'm going to ride in between you two dorks!" retorted Lo.

Jonesy was holding onto the bar with his hands while he had his legs wrapped around Cody. In turn, Cody had his arms wrapped around Lo's stomach, and the two of them still had their feet on the platform, as they all faced forward.

"What are they doing?" Courtney asked, glancing upward at them.

Cody and Lo ran off the side, and the trio started their speedy, frightful descent. All three of them screamed like girls as they sped for the landing pad. Jonesy excitedly let go a split second too early, though, so instead of landing on their feet, they all touched down face-down, with Lo on the bottom of the pile.

"Get up, get up!" Jen shouted as she, Courtney, and Trent helped their teammates up.

The Vets were all up and they reached their puzzle, while the Groms were already at work trying out their answers on their safe. Cody read his teams' clues aloud.

"The first is the number of blond-haired teens on Team Groms at the start of the game. The second is the number of cast members left in the game. The third is... number of hate letters to Duncan that Courtney mailed off this morning?"

"Hold on!" Courtney growled. "Since when are my personal affairs everyone's business?"

Regardless, they figured out the answers and ran to the safe. As they began turning their dial, the Groms were already on the third attempt to unlock their safe.

"It's gotta be a nice, round number," Geoff thought aloud. "Um... 35?"

Julie turned the dial to 35, and pulled the latch outward. This time, the door did open. She got the two keys out and her team undid two more of their locks. They ran to the limbo segment, with only Ty and Kelly still chained together.

"Courtney, we need a number!" Jen shouted.

"I don't remember! Uh... uh... 28?"

Trent turned the dial to that number, and pulled. The safe opened. After unlocking two of their locks, only Cody and Lo remained linked for the Vets. The Groms had just cleared the second stick, which was three feet off the ground.

"Guys," Owen spoke up, pointing out a problem, "I just barely cleared the last one. How am I gonna get under the rest?"

"I guess I forgot to mention you **ARE** allowed to dig under each bar to get more clearance," Blaineley ruled. "But dig carefully... knock the bar off while doing so, and you go back to the start!"

The boys started digging under the third bar, which was only two feet above the ground, as Kelly and Julie watched. The Vets, meanwhile, had easily cleared the first bar and were on the second.

"This isn't fair!" argued Bridgette as she walked over to Blaineley. "We're at a disadvantage because Owen's so much bigger than the rest of us!"

"You should've thought when you didn't send him to Castoff Beach! Not my fault, honey."

As the Groms continued to dig, the Vets drew even as they got to the third bar. They saw they needed to dig, but Lo proved there was no need to do so for her, as she managed to squeeze her small frame underneath without much trouble.

_Confessional Cam - Lo_

_"And people thought Daddy rigged those limbo contests for me. I earned those three consecutive Surfer's Paradise Limbo Championship trophies! No one here can go lower than me!"_

Both teams cleared enough sand under the bar for their members to get under the third bar, and they were neck-and-neck as they reached the fourth and final one, which was just 16 inches up. Again, Lo attempted to get under it as is. She just managed to squeeze under without making contact once with the bar.

The rest of her team then began digging, trying to get ahead of the Groms. After a couple minutes on both sides, people started making attempts to sneak under. Lo carefully guided Cody under using their linked chain, while Darth and Julie did theirs individually. Kelly was almost clear as well, but she made the mistake of lifting up her head too early, believing she was clear.

"**NO!**" Darth shouted.

The bar popped out and hit the sand.

"Uh oh!" Blaineley said to them. "You know the rules! Gotta do 'em all again!"

The Groms had no choice but to run back to the start of the segment. Meanwhile, Jonesy was the last of the Vets to go under. He carefully cleared the obstacle without any mistakes.

"Vets have taken the lead!"

By design, Cody and Lo were forced to get in and do the running to get their key.

"Lift those legs!" Courtney barked at them. "**LIFT!**"

As their flag lowered closer to the ground, Trent saw out of the corner of his eye Owen knocking over one of the limbo bars with his stomach.

"I think we got this, guys!"

Ten seconds later, the flag was in Jen's reach. She ripped the key off and ran to undo the lock connecting Cody and Lo, with them stopping as she got them. Once they were free, the team bolted 25 meters to the finish line. The Groms saw the writing on the wall as they began their third run of the limbo segment, and it was made officially when Lo jogged across the finish line, the last member in for her team.

"Team Vets wins!"

[Team Vets $125,000 - Team Groms $50,000]

They celebrated yet another victory as the Groms collapsed on the ground in exhausted defeat.

* * *

><p>The Vets were all in the deliberation tent, but just as Jonesy was about to step in, he was intercepted by Blaineley.<p>

"You know the plan, right?" she asked him.

Jonesy nodded. "And you'll keep your end of the deal?"

"As long as you come through!"

Jonesy then went into the tent.

"Alright... I know exactly who we're gonna vote for."

"I nominate Kelly," Lo cut in. "Girl's a witch! She's gotta go!"

"I second!" Jen rose her hand in agreement.

"No way!" argued Jonesy. "Bridgette's the best babe left on their team! Her place isn't here... it's on some magazine cover!"

The girls gasped in shock.

"I can't believe you just said that!" Jen berated him.

"I second Jonesy's nom..."

They all turned to Trent, who had his hand up.

"But not for the same reasons as Jonesy. I like Bridgette, she's one of the nicest people I've ever met. But that doesn't change the fact that she's the only girl they have left with any athleticism."

"It... it only takes one challenge in the water..." Cody spoke up.

"You too?" Lo looked at him in dismay.

"It looks like we have a tie then," Courtney stated aloud, "because I'm voting to get rid of Kelly. So... how do we decide this?"

Trent had one idea, as he pulled out a spare guitar pick he happened to have in his pocket.

* * *

><p>[Castoff Beach]<p>

Jonesy stepped forward to announce which two girls were competing in the challenge. And he was doing so with a... fresh black left eye?

"We decided... to throw Kelly in."

"**WHAT?**"

Everyone turned towards Kelly, but she did not seem shocked at being picked at all. Instead, the most surprised about the choice happened to be Blaineley.

"Why?" she asked him. "That's not why I- I mean, you, told me... uh..."

A lot of eyes were trained on the hostess, as they were getting suspicious of what was happening.

"Fine," Blaineley relented. "At least tell us why?"

He held up a hand to his eye, then glanced over his shoulder back at an irate Courtney.

"Let's just say we have 'special' ways of breaking ties."

"**ENOUGH!**" shouted Lo, bursting out of her silence and stepping forward.

"Sis," Ty said with concern, "what are you doing?"

"What I should've done a **LONG** time ago, Ty! Put Kelly in her place!"

"Ha!" Kelly laughed. "You? Put **ME** in **MY** place? Not likely!"

Blaineley sighed. "So I suppose the Vets pick Lo for the challenge? Fine, whatever... Kelly, spin the wheel."

Kelly stuck her tongue out at Lo, then walked over to the wheel and gave it a whirl. It landed on the 'wild card' spot.

"There's a twist!" Blaineley said with a smile. "Kelly, you can now pick which challenge you want to do!"

Kelly smiled evilly. Lo gulped in fear.

"I don't like where this is going..." Lo said aloud.

* * *

><p>[20 Questions]<p>

Kelly and Lo were standing on either side of Blaineley, who had a card in hand with the name of one of the competitors on it.

"You know the rules, girls! Kelly, again, your choice... would you like to go first or second?"

Kelly smirked. "I think I'd like to go first, Blaineley."

"Very well. Ask away!"

"My first question is... is the person a girl?"

The hostess looked at her card, and answered. "Yes. Lo?"

"Is she a gold digger?"

That question got a glare from Kelly and a few gasps from the other.

"Ooh, good question. But nope! Back to you, Kelly."

"Is she a Daddy's girl?"

And that one got a matching mean look from Lo.

"No."

"Is she a mean, son of a witch?"

"**WHAT?**" Kelly yelled.

"Hold on," Blaineley cut in, before putting a finger up to her earpiece, as if waiting for clarification. "The producers believe it's a valid question... and they're leaning no for the answer. Can we keep the questions a little more straight-forward, please?"

"Fine."

Kelly scanned the other girls still in the game. After a few seconds, she asked Blaineley...

"Is it Courtney?"

"Hold up!" Lo put her hand up. "Did your small brain just **SERIOUSLY** pick a name at random?"

"So, Ridgemount? What if I did?"

Blaineley looked down at the card... and gasped in amazement.

"Either Kelly's great at guessing games, or she's a psychic. Either way... she's right! Lo? Vaca's over, sweetie! The raft awaits!"

"That can't be right!"

Lo did not believe Blaineley, so she snatched the card out of her hand. Sure enough, Courtney's name was on it.

"No way!"

"Yes way! Later, Lo! I'm sure some baby shark out there will find you appetizing!"

Lo tried to make a break for it, but she was quickly chased down by the interns and dragged towards the raft.

"Hey! Let go of me! Do you know who my Dad is?"

Ty attempted to run over to save her sister, but Kelly cut him off.

"Sorry, Ty, but she had this coming!"

"But that's my sister!"

"Well... you should've **WARNED** her that she should've never crossed me!"

Lo was pushed out to sea.

"You guys know I can swim, right? Wait... there can't really be sharks in this shallow water. Right?"

Then, less than 20 feet from shore, she saw something that resembled a shark's fin pass by her adrift raft.

"This is so unfair!" she shouted. "**I WANT A DO-OVER!**"

"I guess she doesn't know that I don't believe in do-overs," Blaineley said as she faced the camera. "Unless I want one, that is. But I don't, so... see ya!"

"**DON'T LEAVE ME OUT HERE! AT LEAST, NOT WITHOUT SOME SUNSCREEN! SUNBURNS ARE SO UNATTRACTIVE!**"

**End Episode Seven**

**Author's Notes:**  
>And with Lo's departure, there's no one left in the game that made the merge in "Fresh from Canada." And we're still only halfway through the season! Yikes! The Vets have lost half of their team already... will any of them make it to the final challenge? They better start winning more of the Castoff Beach showdowns, that's for sure!<p>

**Next up:** Episode 8 - Next Thursday, July 28th, 7 pm EST!


	8. Blowing the Whistle

**"Fresh Challenge: Vets vs. Groms"**  
><strong>Story Written by Freedom Fighter<strong>

So this week the game changes in an unexpected way. Or maybe not so unexpected, especially if you checked out the previous episode.

**Disclaimer:** All characters are the property of Fresh TV, Inc.

* * *

><p><em>20 teens, 3 weeks, $300,000 on the line<em>  
><em>And only one team to split the prize<em>

_[Cast Intros]_  
><em>Fin and Lo are in the midst of a staring match<em>  
><em>Trent is trying to teach Ty how to play guitar<em>  
><em>Sierra hugs Cody to the point his face is turning blue<em>  
><em>Jen reaches out to help, but Darth shakes his head<em>  
><em>Owen and Ripper produce fart clouds together...<em>  
><em>And Kelly and Caitlin cover their noses and run away<em>  
><em>Jonesy hands Wyatt a book that says 'How to Score Chicks'<em>  
><em>Courtney chats with Bridgette, even though she looks...<em>  
><em>Over at Geoff, who is giving Julie an autograph<em>  
><em>And Reef snatches a crown off of Heather's head and puts it on his<em>

_The twenty competitors then appeared on a boat in the Atlantic Ocean, approaching the Florida Keys. Blaineley was shown behind the wheel, driving them to their destination._

_[Blaineley]_  
><em>Two teams<em>  
><em>13 challenges<em>  
><em>May the best team win!<em>  
><em>This is 'Fresh Challenge: Vets vs. Groms!'<em>

**-**  
><strong>Fresh Challenge: Vets vs. Groms<br>Episode Eight - Blowing the Whistle (07.28.11)**  
><strong>-<strong>

Back at the house, Kelly was humming to herself happily as she entered the bedroom and glanced over to the bed in which Lo had slept in.

_Confessional Cam - Kelly_

_"Yes! Ridgemount is gone, and I'm still here! That means only Ty and I are left from our show. No matter... the best couple's still standing, and we'll be here all the way to the finale! You can bet on that!"_

Courtney and Jen walked in, the former very upset about what had just transpired an hour ago at Castoff Beach.

"This is unbelievable!" Courtney threw her hands up in frustration.

"Why?" Jen queried. "Because we've now lost five people even though we've won five challenges?"

"No! Because the producers said they leaned no about me being a witch! I won't stand for that!"

Jen sighed. "Nice to see where your priorities are, Court."

"Ha ha ha ha!" interrupted Kelly, mock-laughing as she looked over at them. "You Vets are supposed to be the, quote-unquote 'All-Stars,' and yet you two are the only girls left! How does it feel to fall well short of expectations?"

"I wouldn't be going around talking smack if I were you," Courtney fired back. "Your team's record of two and five is dreadful!"

"Besides," added Jen, "Courtney and I are still stronger physically **AND** mentally than all of the girls on your team **COMBINED**! I think as long as we're both still here, we're still the favorites."

"What do you think about **THAT**?"

Kelly tried to think of a comeback, but could not. She settled for grunting in anger, and then walking out. Once she left, Courtney high-fived Jen.

"Way to take Kelly down a peg!"

"She deserves it!"

_Confessional Cam - Jen_

_"I'm confident that both Courtney and I can still make it to the end. Sure, Court has some flaws, unlike myself... you know, a bit bossy, kind of a control freak, lashes out at people for no good reason. But it's nothing that can't be fixed. All will be fine once we start winning on Castoff Beach. And if not, well, I can give her a few pointers. After all, fixing other people's flaws is my specialty!"_

Jen walked out into the hallway and saw Cody slouching and Jonesy still in his team shirt, which had sweat stains on it.

"Stand up straight, Cody! And Jonesy... eew, take that off!"

She passed by them and headed downstairs. The two boys looked at each other oddly.

"Sweat stains after being out in the sun are perfectly normal!" Jonesy shouted as Cody scratched his head in confusion.

* * *

><p>The next morning, Caitlin stared in amazement, and perhaps in disgust as well, as she sat across with Owen, who was in the midst of downing his third bowl of cereal.<p>

"Owen!" she whined.

Hearing Caitlin, Owen pulled the bowl away from his face.

"What? Oh... ha ha! Sorry. Where are my manners today?"

He placed the half-eaten bowl down on the table and slid it over to Caitlin.

"If you wanted some, all you had to do is ask!"

Caitlin looked down and saw soggy flakes sticking to the insides of the bowl, as well as a few strands of hair and part of a fingernail. She nearly gagged, but managed to hold it in as she pushed the bowl back to Owen.

"S'okay... I'm suddenly not hungry anymore."

Owen shrugged, then picked up the bowl and dumped what was left in it into his mouth all at once.

"Gross! Owen, how can you eat so much?"

"What can I say? I'm a growing boy!"

"But... you're sixteen!"

"What? Boys can still grow at sixteen!"

Geoff walked into the dining room, got himself an apple, and started heading out.

"Geoff!" Caitlin called out to him. "Wanna sit with us?"

"Sorry, dudette, but in the midst of something with Darth! Take a rain check?"

"Of course!"

Geoff walked off, leaving Caitlin and Owen to what they were doing. He made his way upstairs to the master bedroom, and closed the door behind him. Already waiting inside were Darth, Ty, and Julie, who were all sitting on the bed.

"So we're doing this?" Geoff asked.

"There is no other logical course," replied Darth. "Owen the next to go, he must be!"

"I'm okay with it," Ty nodded in agreement, looking at both guys. "Otherwise, it has to be one of the three of us."

"Still, my friends... we need one more vote to make it a majority. Plus we still have to win the challenge so we can choose to put Owen in. Otherwise, we risk losing Geoff or Ty."

"I could run the idea by Bridge," Geoff suggested, "but she's not really into sneaky, behind-the-back deals."

"Maybe you won't have to," Ty piped in. "I'm sure Kelly would be on board."

"Of course **SHE** would," commented Julie.

Ty raised an eyebrow, befuddled. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"The why does not matter!" Darth told them. "Just the number does! Ask them both, we will! There is strength in many!"

"Alright then," Geoff smirked. "We're winning to get rid of Owen! Let's do this!"

* * *

><p>Later that afternoon, Bridgette sat down by the house phone, intending to make a call. But to whom?<p>

"I'd like to lodge a complaint against Blaineley," stated Bridgette. "I have reason to believe she's trying to sabotage my team... and, in particular, me."

The voice coming out of the other end of the line was the show's executive producer, Jacob Milligan.

"What is the basis of your complaint? Do you have proof?"

Bridgette began telling him everything she thought worth telling in order to make her case. After a few minutes on the phone...

"We will look into it," Mr. Milligan told Bridgette, "and we'll let you know when we finish our inquiry."

"Thank you so much! I really appreciate it!"

Bridgette said goodbye, and then hang up. She wandered to the living room, where she found Geoff and Caitlin sitting, watching some TV.

"So, what's the word, babe?" Geoff asked his girlfriend.

"He said they'd investigate, and they'll let me know if they come up with anything."

She plopped down on the couch in between the two of them, then leaned over and rested her head on Geoff's shoulder.

"You really think she's out to get you?" Caitlin asked.

"I don't think, Caitlin... I know she is!"

"Chillax, Bridge!" Geoff clasped his hands over hers. "It's not like we're dealing with Chris or his cronies. I'm pretty sure Blaineley's getting busted for this. Just you watch!"

"Awww... I love you for having my back, Geoff!"

Bridgette just laid there, leaning on her boyfriend and letting her mind wander, as she felt at ease for the first time in days.

_[End Act One]_

* * *

><p>The next morning, Bridgette was seen leaving the house all by herself. She walked down to the curb, where a van was waiting for her.<p>

_Confessional Cam - Bridgette_

_"So after talking to him on the phone yesterday, I'm on my way to meet with the head producer, Jacob, in person, in regards to the whole 'Blaineley' thing. I swear... she has it out for me!"_

She was taken to a nearby inn, where almost the entire production crew was staying for the show. Jacob Milligan, the executive producer, a black man in his early 40s, met her in the lobby. The two found a place to sit off to the side.

"You're well aware there's history between us, right?" Bridgette reminded Mr. Milligan. "Blaineley's attempted to kill me twice. Now she's trying to make my life miserable by sabotaging the game! I mean... just at the previous challenge, you could plainly see that older, rusted locks were used for our team, compared to the newer ones the other team had! I'm also convinced she has some sort of secret alliance with somebody in the game, trying to get me eliminated!"

"As I told you on the phone," he responded, "we intend on running a fair game, and we strive to maintain that promise. These our some serious allegations you're pitching here."

"Trust me. She's out to get me."

"Very well. We're already looking into it, and we'll let you know our findings once we're done. Okay?"

The two got up from their seats and Bridgette reached out to shake hands with the executive.

"Thanks for hearing me out."

She then headed for the exit, to be taken back to the house so she could prepare with her team for the next challenge.

_Confessional Cam - Bridgette_

_"If they find out Blaineley **HAS** been sabotaging the game - specifically, me - they better fire her! Or else!"_

* * *

><p>Once back at the house, Bridgette found Courtney, intending to get some legal advice. But before their conversation could even begin, Kelly and Julie marched into the room.<p>

"We just got word we're leaving for the challenge in 20 minutes," Julie said. "We need to have a strategy meeting!"

"Okay," Bridgette nodded. "I just need one or two minutes with Courtney."

"Why are you consorting with the enemy?" questioned Kelly. "She's on the other team!"

"What I was going to ask her about has **NOTHING** to do with the game!"

"Besides," Courtney stood up for Bridgette, "outside of the challenges, Bridge and I are friends! Besides, any pea-brained strategy you come up with can't compare to one of superior intellect, like myself, can concoct!"

"Bridgette!" seethed Kelly. "You just gonna **LET** her talk to your teammate like that?"

Bridgette was silent, unwilling to give Kelly an answer.

"Fine then! See what happens when at the next girls' elimination, I make sure that the two of you end up facing each other for the right to stay in the game!"

"Are you **THREATENING** me?" Courtney blasted back.

Kelly smirked, then turned to walk out of the room. She grabbed Julie and pulled her out with her.

_Confessional Cam - Courtney_

_"She thinks **SHE'S** the one in control? We'll see who's in charge when we win this challenge today! Sorry, Ty... you seem like a nice guy, but you're going to have to pay for your bitch of a girlfriend!"_

* * *

><p>Upon arriving at the challenge, they saw that a smaller version of a soccer field had been marked off with chalk and cones on the beach, and standing in the middle was Blaineley, who had her right hand resting against an air-filled cage ball that was almost as tall as her.<p>

"Look at Blaineley!" chuckled Geoff. "She's fondling a giant ball! **HA!**"

But it turned out that the hostess did not hear Geoff's inappropriate joke, as she was talking on her cell phone.

"Fine... I'll be there shortly."

She hung up, then turned to the 13 remaining competitors. She had a sour look on her face, especially when she glanced over at Bridgette.

"Apparently, someone thinks me, the hostess, who is supposed to be impartial, is trying to sabotage this game! And don't think for a minute that I don't know who blew the whistle on me!"

Blaineley was ready to call out Bridgette, but she was stopped by Chef Hatchet, who walked up next to her, dressed in a referee's uniform.

"You're wanted... now!"

"But..." argued Blaineley, "I didn't even get to tell them about the challenge!"

"The boss said, and I quote... **GET YOUR SORRY BUTT TO THE PRODUCER'S TRAILER RIGHT NOW, OR YOU'RE FIRED!**"

"But I need this job! It's the only place the work-release program would authorize!"

"Then I'd start running if I were you," Chef said with a smirk.

Blaineley took off, leaving the explanation of the challenge in Chef's capable hands.

"Okay, you weenies! You got a challenge today, and it's Crab Soccer!"

Jonesy took one glance at the serious look on Chef's face, and he broke out in laughter.

"Ha ha! No way... is this guy for real?"

But he quickly shut up when Chef marched over and got in his face.

"For someone whose team is down three men, **I DON'T SEE WHAT'S SO FUNNY, SOLDIER!**"

Jen leaned over to whisper to Cody.

"So this is the famous Chef Hatchet? Kinda reminds me of Coach Halder... only meaner."

"Test me again," Chef warned Jonesy, "and you're out of the game!"

"You mean sit out the challenge? Whatever, that's cool..."

"I mean **OUT OF THE COMPETITION! AND YOU DON'T GET NO RAFT... YOU SWIM BACK TO CANADA!**"

Jonesy gulped in fear. Chef glared into Jonesy's eyes for a few seconds, as if peering into his soul, and then he walked away.

"Now, where was I? Oh, yes... Crab Soccer! Just like regular soccer, only you all move on all fours, like a crab... **AND YOU PLAY WITH THAT BIG ASS BALL!**"

He pointed to the ball Blaineley was next to when they had arrived.

"You score by kicking the ball in between the cones at your far end of the field. First team to do so wins the challenge!"

"I have a question!" Caitlin raised her hand. "What do you mean by we have to move like a crab?"

"**WHAT KIND OF STUPID QUESTION IS THAT?**" yelled Chef, as he turned to glare at her.

Despite Chef's anger at Caitlin s question, he demonstrated anyway as he bended backwards and placed his hands down on the sand. With the front of his body pointing to the sky and his head tilted forward, he began to move back and forth, like a crab.

"That looks wrong!" commented Caitlin. "And embarrassing!"

"Is it just me," Geoff asked Bridgette, "or after two weeks here, Caitlin **STILL** doesn't grasp what you can be subjected to on a reality show?"

"**YOU'LL DO IT AND LIKE IT!**" Chef shouted at Caitlin.

He then turned to her teammates.

"Since Team Groms are up three men, pick three soldiers to sit today's task out, like the sissies they are! And you can't pick anyone who sat out the last one! Now... **CHOOSE!**"

"No problems, Chef," Geoff stepped forward. "We already know who's sitting out. Darth, Julie, and Kelly."

Darth and Julie lowered their heads in dismay, while Kelly celebrated having to get the chance to relax.

"The sit-outers have been decided!" Chef announced. "Let's get this challenge... uh, rolling!"

* * *

><p>[Challenge 8: Crab Soccer]<p>

After a coin toss to determine who would start with the ball, the teams took the field. Chef rolled the ball to the center of the field, and Geoff crab-walked to it. Off to his left were both Caitlin and Bridgette, while Ty was to his right.

_Confessional Cam - Ty_

_"So our plan is basically everyone rush in except for Owen, who stays back to block the goal. It leaves us vulnerable defensively, but it won't matter if we can score quickly."_

For the Vets, Trent was near Geoff, Jonesy was opposite of Ty, and Jen was covering both of the girls. Sitting back near the goal were Cody and Courtney.

_Confessional Cam - Cody_

_"I'm confused. Why's Courtney staying back with me? Does she not trust me to defend the goal or something?"_

Chef blew the whistle, and the game began. Geoff tapped the ball over to Ty, and he kicked it forward, and over Jonesy, who was playing a little too close. The ball landed behind him, and bounced its way towards Courtney. She tried to kick it over to Trent, but she hit the ball too low and it popped up in the air. There was a mad scramble as all of the guys rushed to get under it. Several feet kicked up at that ball as it came down.

"**MINE!**" Jonesy, Ty, Trent, and Geoff all called out in unison.

Jonesy got a foot on it first, but he kicked it right into Ty's, who blasted it to Trent, who wasn't ready for it. As a result, the ball landed on him instead. With it still on him, Geoff kicked it off. The ball bounced on the sand and was intercepted by Jen. She got control and started pushing the ball downfield. The ball was so large, though, that she did not see Bridgette come in from the other side and kick the ball away.

The ball rolled to an empty spot on the field. Cody and Courtney both moved forward to try and clear it as members of both teams charged in on the other side.

"I got it!" Cody called.

"No!" objected Courtney. "I do! You'll screw it up!"

Courtney got alongside Cody and pushed him out of his crab stance, knocking him down to the sand. Thanks to that, she did get to the ball first, and went to whack it... when Geoff slid in and sidekicked it right into her face, and then over it! It then rolled past Cody, who went after it as it headed towards the goal area.

"Gotta save it, gotta save it..." he said out loud.

It came to a stop about four feet short of the goal line. Cody reached it, but still had to crab-walk to the other side to kick it away. But with Ty having gotten the jump on Jonesy, Cody had to move fast, or this game was over!

_[End Act Two]_

* * *

><p>"Kick that ball!" Chef shouted at Cody. "Kick it as if your life in this game depends on it!"<p>

Cody hustled behind the ball and kicked it... in Ty's direction. Ty had the perfect opportunity, but he had to stop to kick the ball back towards the goal, which gave Jonesy just enough time to crawl in and use a bicycle-like kick to launch the ball over their heads and back towards center. They both turned around to go retrieve it, and Jonesy got to it first.

"Go long!" he shouted.

He kicked the ball as hard as he could, and it rolled along the sand all the way to and past the center line. Geoff had let Trent get away from him, and as a result, Trent got to the ball first. He kicked it forward, rolling it a few feet, before scrambling to give it another boot. Off to his right, Jen was ahead of him, though she had Caitlin crawling right with her. Trent got to the ball and shoved it with his foot even closer to the goal. Geoff was closing in behind Trent, while Owen prepared to move to block any upcoming shot.

"The goal area's wide," Trent thought aloud, "if I can just..."

Trent started pushing the ball to his left, or Owen's right, and sure enough, he got the big guy to follow him.

"He's stretching the field!" Darth observed from the sideline. "If Trent can get the ball over to Jen..."

"...we'll lose the challenge!" finished Julie. "Again!"

Indeed, that was the plan, to get Owen out of position and leave Jen with an open shot.

"Gotta hit it just right..."

Trent kicked the ball on its left side so it would fly to the right. Jen raced for where she believed she could meet the ball in stride, breaking away from Caitlin and getting out into the open. Instead of chasing Jen, Caitlin angled towards the goal in an attempt to get there in time for a block near the line. But the shot try went awry when Jen got there too late to get a foot on the ball, which then proceeded to roll past Caitlin, to where she had come from.

"Ball, ball, ball!" shouted Kelly, trying to get Caitlin to go back for it.

Caitlin crawled back and kicked the ball with her right leg as hard as possible. But it only traveled a foot or so before stopping. She tried to kick it again, but by that time Jen was there, and she got a good foot on it and shot it for the goal line. It bounced to and over the goal line, but in the process, it rolled directly over the cone which marked the goal boundary on that side of the field. Chef blew his whistle to stop play and make a ruling.

"Ball hit the cone, no goal! Goal kick!"

"Shoot!" grumbled Jen. "I thought I had it won!"

"Don't worry," Jonesy said as he came over. "We've got this!"

But Jonesy was getting ahead of himself, as both teams started adapting to the game and learning how to kick the ball in order to get it to go the way they wanted. But that also meant people could get more aggressive, shown mostly by them kicking their opponents instead of the ball.

"Heads up!" shouted Ty, crab-running towards the ball in an open area of the field.

He was looking downfield towards Bridgette, who had about 10 yards of clear space on all sides. But as he thrust his right foot forward, Jonesy entered from the side to kick with his left. Ty got the ball away, while all Jonesy got a piece of was Ty's leg.

"Ow! Come on, man! Not cool!"

But Jonesy did not care, as he rushed to get on defense. The ball ended up rolling all the way to Bridgette, who used a slight tap towards the Vets' goal line to get it moving in the right direction. She knew Cody was coming at her from the other side, so Bridgette had to decide what to do with the ball fast.

"Go! Go!" Darth, Julie, and Kelly all cheered from the sidelines.

Bridgette reared her left leg back and used it to kick the ball to and past the goal line. But her kick was not quite strong enough, and it ended up stopping five yards short.

"Clear it!" Cody yelled at Courtney, even as he had one eye on Bridgette and the rest of her attacking team.

Courtney was the closest to the ball, and she scrambled towards it. Geoff was the nearest opponent, but he stayed where he currently was instead of making a break for the ball. Trent was next to him.

"All yours!" Courtney announced as she got to the ball and kicked it in Trent's direction.

The ball rolled his way, but someone else was coming up on Trent and Geoff... all 300-plus pounds of him.

"**LOOK OUT!**" shouted Jen.

Owen crabbed in out of the blue, got past Trent, and intercepted the ball using both feet. The ball barreled back to where it had come from. It was carrying so much speed that despite Courtney being in the perfect position to block it...

"**AAAHHHHHHH!**"

The ball just simply rolled right up and over her, barely slowing down at all as it reached and crossed the goal line. Chef blew his whistle upon seeing this.

"That's a goal!" he declared. "Groms win!"

[Team Vets $125,000 - Team Groms $75,000]

Owen let his body drop to the sand, and the rest of his team celebrated a victory by jumping up to their feet and dancing. Meanwhile, a frustrated Courtney sat up, with sand falling from her hair, and she slammed the ground in disbelief.

"No way! I should've stopped that! Darn you, Owen!"

But Owen had not heard her, as in his mind he was already imagining himself staying a few more days, believing he was safe.

* * *

><p>But a little while later...<p>

"Everyone who votes for Owen to go to Castoff Beach," Darth said, "raise your hand."

Owen was flabbergasted when everyone on the team except for himself and Caitlin put one of their hands up.

"What?" he asked. "Why? I just won us the challenge!"

"It's nothing personal," Darth walked over to Owen to explain it to him close up, "but we all agreed that we need to look to the future. As much as we appreciate our efforts, we also need to do what we have to in order to ensure with the most optimal team for completing the final challenge."

"It's okay," Bridgette assured Owen, despite her voting to put Owen in as well. "All you have to do is win Castoff Beach, and you get to stay!"

"But you guys are sending me up against..."

* * *

><p>[Castoff Beach]<p>

"Jonesy," Julie told Chef aloud. "We pick Jonesy!"

"Why Jonesy?" Chef asked.

"There's at least half a dozen good reasons... but basically, he's the strongest guy left on their team!"

"Wise choice. Who do the Groms pick to face-off against him?"

"We pick... Owen!"

Julie pointed to him, and he stepped forward.

"But didn't the big guy just win you the challenge?"

"There's also at least a half dozen good reasons we're putting him in."

"Whatever," shrugged an uncaring Chef. "Jonesy and Owen, step forward!"

They both got out of line and made their way over to Chef and the wheel. Chef pointed to Owen, then the wheel.

"You... spin that thing for all its worth!"

Owen stepped up and spun the wheel as hard as he could. They all watched as it went around multiple times...

_Confessional Cam - Trent_

_"Never has a spin been so important! Whatever the wheel lands on could **IMMEDIATELY** decide who's going home."_

But luck was on Jonesy's side as the wheel finally came to rest on the spot marked 'Ascent to Glory.'

"Ah," Chef grinned, "the classic rope climb! This should be good!"

* * *

><p>[Ascent to Glory]<p>

The final safety straps were being attached, and Jonesy looked confident as he stood opposite of Owen.

"I can't look," Caitlin said as she covered her eyes with her hands.

"There's no way he can win this!" stated Darth. "Owen's leaving us today."

"Come on!" objected Bridgette. "Let's not give up on him yet. Owen could still win if Jonesy slips up. Let's cheer for him... O-wen! O-wen! O-wen!"

Caitlin quickly joined Bridgette's cheering group, but no one else on their team was near as enthusiastic... or willing.

"Easy win!" Courtney predicted. "Just don't screw it up, Jonesy!"

Jonesy smiled. "I'm happy you can't bear seeing me leave you, babe!"

"As if! Despite... well, **YOU**, we can't afford to lose another person right now!"

"It's up to you, Jonesy!" Trent called out. "Don't let us down, dude!"

"You might as well declare me winner right now," an arrogant Jonesy told Chef. "We all know what's going to happen."

"**WHAT WAS THAT, SOLDIER?**" yelled Chef, as he got in Jonesy's face. "**YOU WANT ME TO SEND YOU ADRIFT NOW?**"

Jonesy gulped, then retracted his previous statement.

"I'll climb, I'll climb!"

Chef walked away, heading to a neutral vantage point as he clenched his whistle in preparation to start the challenge.

"First one to ring their bell at the top wins!"

He then blew his whistle, and the challenge began. Jonesy just stood there and did nothing as he watched Owen attempt to begin his ascent.

"Ugh," Owen grunted as he tried to pull himself up, "maybe... maybe I **CAN** do this! Just gotta keep going..."

Owen kept pulling and pulling as Jonesy finally grabbed his rope and began casually climbing upwards.

"I wish every challenge was like this!" Jonesy exclaimed. "Easy!"

"Stop fooling around!" Jen shouted. "Watch your hands... you can still get disqualified if you fall off!"

Jonesy listened to his stepsister and tightened his grip on the rope. Meanwhile, Chef went over to check on Owen.

"This... is... incredible, heh!" smiled Owen, sweat already pouring down his head. "I'm doin' it! **I'M DOIN' IT!**"

But his happiness turned into sadness when Chef came up to him and he could stare straight into his eyes.

"The challenge is to climb 25 **FEET**!" scolded Chef. "**NOT 25 INCHES!**"

Sure enough, Owen had only climbed a couple of feet in two minutes. Such progress was paltry enough that both Bridgette and Caitlin stopped cheering, seeing the writing on the wall. Meanwhile, Jonesy had cruised to the top, and was waving down at his team in jubilation, even though he had not rung his bell yet.

"Thank you, thank you!" he shouted downward. "I know I'm the best!"

"**RING THE BELL, YOU SHOW-OFF!**" yelled Courtney.

Jonesy did so, officially ending the challenge.

"It's over!" declared Chef. "Jonesy wins, Owen is out!"

Upon hearing that, Owen let go of his rope and fell backwards onto the sand.

"Aw, man! And I was doing so good, too!"

* * *

><p>Once Owen had been helped out of his harnesses, Bridgette and Caitlin both ran over to give him a farewell hug.<p>

"We're gonna miss you, Owen," Bridgette told him.

"Yeah," nodded Caitlin. "I wish you could stay! You don't deserve to go!"

"It's all Geoff's fault! He's the one who spearheaded this move!"

"No way!" Owen said in disbelief. "Geoff's a nice dude!"

He glanced over and saw Geoff waving goodbye... with a happy smile on his face.

"He obviously still has a little 'do what's best for ratings bad host' guy in him. Sorry I couldn't talk him out of it."

"It's okay. Probably should've seen this coming anyway."

The girls released Owen, and he began the long walk to the raft, passing by the Vets as he did.

"Bye, Owen!" Courtney and Jonesy both said, with smug smirks on their faces.

"**HURRY UP!**" Chef yelled at the interns.

They were busy trying to double the width of the raft so that it could support all of Owen's weight. They finished just as Owen arrived. He sighed, then sat on it without delay.

"Quick question!" Owen turned to Chef. "Is it okay to eat fish raw while adrift at sea?"

"Why you asking me? Where you're going, you won't need to!"

"What's that supposed to me-"

"**CAST HIM OFF!**"

All of the interns, about six of them, pushed the raft into the water. But it did not go far before it stopped dead. One of the interns tossed Owen a paddle. He caught it, then the hint, and start paddling out himself.

"So," Jonesy said as he turned to Courtney, with arms wide open, "is a certain someone glad to see me still here that she wants to give me a hug?"

Courtney frowned, then turned and walked away, and Jen left with her.

"She'll come around," Jonesy told Trent and Cody. "Just watch."

Suddenly, Blaineley ran past them and over to Chef.

"Did I miss it?" she asked him.

But before he could answer, she saw that Owen had not yet disappeared over the horizon.

"Yes! Okay, somebody get me my cue cards!"

A couple interns rushed to comply with her request.

"C'mon, c'mon!" she shouted. "I don't get paid if I don't complete the outro before time runs ou-"

**End Episode Eight**

**Author's Notes:**  
>And again, Owen gets a tragically sad departure. Apparently, Team Groms believed he had become more of a liability than an asset.<p>

Meanwhile, do you believe Bridgette's allegations about Blaineley trying to sabotage her are true? The answer will come soon, but until then... what do you think?

**Next up:** Episode 9 - Next Thursday, August 4th, 7 pm EST!


	9. All Pain, No Gain

**"Fresh Challenge: Vets vs. Groms"**  
><strong>Story Written by Freedom Fighter<strong>

So what was the fall-out from Blaineley's inquiry? And who goes home this week? Only four episodes to go after this one!

**Disclaimer:** All characters are the property of Fresh TV, Inc.

_20 teens, 3 weeks, $300,000 on the line  
>And only one team to split the prize<em>

_[Blaineley]_  
><em>This is 'Fresh Challenge: Vets vs. Groms!'<em>

**-**  
><strong>Fresh Challenge: Vets vs. Groms<br>Episode Nine - All Pain, No Gain (08.04.11)**  
><strong>-<strong>

The next morning, Geoff, Darth, and Julie were having a secret meeting to discuss their next plan of action.

"So who do we get rid of next?" Geoff asked.

"Well," Darth replied, "under normal circumstances, if we're trying to get rid of the weak links on our team, then the next person to go should be Caitlin."

"She really doesn't do much. You know, other then stand around and... do whatever she does. Seriously... why's she here again?"

"Caitlin serves no purpose," commented Julie. "But I'd have no objections to her sticking around another day or two. Unlike Kelly."

"Kelly!" growled Darth. "The witch! The trickster! The temptress!"

"Not to mention it's getting downright painful just to hear her voice every day! It hurts my ears!"

"So we target Kelly next then," Geoff nodded in agreement. "If we win, we just need one more vote to get the majority we need. Glad Bridgette wants Kelly gone, too. This'll be a piece of cake!"

"Speaking of Bridgette," Darth raised an eyebrow, "are you sure we should be letting her hang out with Courtney? Her aura is on the Dark Side, you know."

"Courtney's a bit dark, but it's only because she's so competitive. Besides, Bridgey and her are good friends. They probably just chit-chat about girl stuff."

But at that exact moment, the two of them were actually hiding under the bed in the master bedroom where Owen had been sleeping. And they happened to be eavesdropping on Kelly, who had pulled Jonesy into the room. They watched silently as the duo chatted.

"Here's what I want you to do," Kelly told Jonesy. "If you guys win the challenge, vote Bridgette into the elimination challenge! Her sunny disposition irks me! She reminds me... of someone I know. And because of that, I want her gone!"

"Do you care who we pick to eliminate her?"

"It doesn't matter to me. But if I had to pick... Courtney. I'll show her what happens when you cross me, by pitting her against her best friend!"

Jonesy shrugged. "Whatever."

"Good. Now, let's get out of here before anyone gets suspicious."

The two of them left the room, with Kelly closing the door behind her. Courtney and Bridgette came out from their hiding spot, both of them looking ready to get rid of Kelly.

"I'm tired of her thinking she's the new Heather!" growled Bridgette. "We've got to stop her!"

"We will," Courtney assured her, acting listening to her voice of reason rather than running after Kelly in blind rage. "But there's no way we'll scare Kelly enough to get her to back off. There's only one way to get to her. And that's through..."

* * *

><p>"So you've finally fallen for me?" Jonesy said with a smirk.<p>

It was a few hours later, and Courtney had managed to sneak out of the house with Jonesy and bring him to the beach. Not that he had any objections to it, especially now that they were alone, sitting by themselves on the sand with no one in earshot distance.

"First off," Courtney told him, "this isn't a date, a tryst, or whatever lovey-dovey term you can think of that ends in some form of canoodling!"

"Well, then..." he said as he got up, "I've got no reason to be here."

"**FINE!**" relented the brunette. "You can call it a date!"

"Sweet!"

Jonesy sat back down and leaned in next to Courtney.

"So, since we pretty much know each other, why don't we get down to business?"

"Gladly!"

Jonesy pulled away briefly to check his breath, and then his hair. He then reached over to wrap his arm around to Courtney's other shoulder, but when he did not find anything to grab onto, he fell over. While he was not looking, Courtney had gotten up and was now staring down at him, with her hands on her lips.

"I want you to dump Kelly!"

Jonesy seemed stupefied for a second, but he gathered himself and gave Courtney an answer.

"Yes."

"No? **WHAT DO YOU MEAN NO?** Oh, wait... yes?"

"There's nothing between me and the Kel-ster. I was just using her as bait to get you jealous."

Courtney blushed. "Me? Jealous of you and Kelly? As if!"

Jonesy got up and made a second attempt to drape his arm over Courtney's shoulder. This time he succeeded, and Courtney made no attempt to bat him away.

"You know I've only had eyes for you, right? I could care less about Kelly!"

"Glad we're on the same page! Let's form an alliance!"

"Okay. On one condition."

Courtney looked oddly at Jonesy. "What condition?"

"I want an alliance with benefits. If you catch my drift..."

Jonesy winked, and Courtney blushed as she instantly got what he was hinting at. Then her face turned red for a completely different reason.

"**YOU PIG!**"

Courtney then stomped off, in the direction of the house.

"So..." Jonesy shouted after her, "I guess we'll table benefits until AFTER Kelly's gone then?"

"**ARGH!**"

"I'll take that as a maybe?"

_Confessional Cam - Jonesy_

_"Oh, she's so into the Jones-meister."_

* * *

><p>The next morning, the teens were taken to the local high school, and directed to the football field. To their surprise, they saw a man waiting for them instead of Blaineley. A man quite a few of them knew.<p>

"Is that Coach Halder?" Caitlin asked as she rubbed her eyes, trying to make sure she was not seeing things.

"Really?" groaned Jen. "One of the reasons I sign up for these things is to get **AWAY** from him! What's he doing here?"

Of course, it was not long before Coach realized she was among the remaining competitors...

"**MASTERSON! WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?**"

"I'm one of the competitors, Coach."

Coach looked at the clipboard he had in hand. His eyes scrolled down the page.

"That's odd," he suddenly realized, "there's no last names on here! Otherwise, I would've known to expect you!"

"Not that any of us care about her," Geoff interrupted, "but where's Blaineley?"

"I am filling in for Miss O'Halloran while she is taking care of a personal matter. So I will be your host for today."

"What's today's challenge, then?" asked Trent.

"Glad you asked! Today, you'll be playing the greatest sport known to man! At least in America... football!"

He pointed towards a section of the field that was closed off on two sides by foot-high foam barriers. Pretty much everyone gasped in dismay and worry.

"Don't worry," he assured them. "You won't have to endure a full game. All you'll have to do is... Score a Touchdown! That's the name of the challenge, by the way. The rules are as follows: one member of each team at a time will start at the 30-yard line and must make it across the goal line to score a touchdown! But you've only got ONE down to do it! And..."

Coach pointed behind them, and the group turned around to show four high school football players, in full uniform and pads, ranging in weight from 200 to 300 pounds, walking towards them.

_Confessional Cam - Julie_

_"Figures we get a challenge like this right **AFTER** we got rid of Owen. Bridgette's right... this competition **IS** unfair!"_

The four teenage boys lined up next to Coach Halder.

"These four are tasked with stopping you. By tackling you to the ground, knocking or forcing you out of bounds, or by obtaining possession of the ball. The team that scores the most touchdowns wins the challenge! Got it, good, **LET'S SEE SOME ROUGHHOUSING!**"

Coach was about to blow his whistle to start the challenge, but Jen raised her hand to remind him of something.

"Coach... shouldn't you tell Team Groms that since they're up two people, that two of them have to sit out?"

"Thanks for reminding me, Masterson."

Coach then turned to the Groms.

"Pick two people to sit out, Groms!"

As they huddled to make that decision, he turned his attention back to Jen.

"As for you, Masterson... questioning whether your superior knows all the rules? That's fifteen!"

Jen was not pleased, but she got down on all fours and began... doing push-ups, to the surprise of her teammates.

_[End Act One]_

* * *

><p>[Challenge 9: Score a Touchdown!]<p>

Twenty minutes later, everyone was dressed up in full uniform and pads, with each team's jersey matching their team colors. The only ones not geared up for the challenge were the two chosen to sit out: Bridgette and Ty.

"Go get 'em, Groms!" cheered Bridgette.

"Two in a row, guys!" Ty predicted aloud. "Two in a row!"

"Why is Ty sitting out?" Jonesy wondered aloud as he gathered with his teammates. "Football's a man sport! He should be out here with the rest of us!"

"What do you mean it's a man's sport?" Courtney glared at him. "You telling me that girls can't play football?"

"Have you seen a girl **TRY**? It's usually not pretty."

"It can't be that difficult! Here, I'll show you! Watch me get a slam dunk!"

Courtney then leaned over to Jen.

"There **ARE** dunks in football, right?"

Jen shrugged her shoulders, as she did not know the answer. Suddenly, they heard Coach Halder blow a whistle.

"First competitors, front and center!" he shouted.

Courtney put on a helmet and began walking to the starting line, but Jonesy raced past her, pushing Courtney to the ground as he did.

"Foul!" Courtney cried. "I demand you give him a yellow card!"

"Sorry!" he apologized. "But I can't let you do this!"

Jen, Trent, and Cody helped Courtney back to her feet as they saw Jonesy line up next to Geoff at the 30-yard line.

"What's Jonesy's deal? I want to prove girls can play football, and he does... **UGH!**"

"I think he's just being protective of you," Trent theorized.

"I don't need protection! I can take care of myself!"

"He knows that," Jen told Courtney. "But I think you're missing the reason as to why he's being protective."

Courtney scoffed, already getting what Jen was insinuating.

"I don't know what lies your stepbrother has been telling you, but Jonesy and I are **NOT** a couple! Nor will we ever be!"

Meanwhile, Jonesy and Geoff each had been given a football, and they were preparing to sprint down the narrow, 20-yard wide field, at the same time. Coach Halder blew the whistle, and their run began. They both sprinted down the field, with Jonesy ahead slightly. Two of the football players charged towards them.

"Can't get me!" Jonesy shouted.

He broke right, but one of the players made a matching move in the same direction, and turned on the jets. Jonesy attempted to spin out of the oncoming tackle, but the guy grabbed a hold of him and would not let go. Eventually, Jonesy was forced down to the ground.

Geoff did not have any better luck, as he tried to take the second guy head on. That mistake resulted in him drilled into the ground, landing hard on his back.

"**GEOFF!**" Bridgette gasped in shock.

Coach blew his whistle, signifying both boys had failed.

[Team Vets 0 - Team Groms 0]

Jonesy popped back up, upset but no worse for the wear. Geoff, however, was being a bit slow, and out of concern Bridgette ran in from the sideline to check up on him.

"Oh my gosh, Geoff! Are you okay?"

"I think so, babe," he said as he rubbed his back with his hand. "Man... when those dudes tackle you, they tackle you! Hard!"

Bridgette hugged her boyfriend, trying to get him to think of anything other than pain. It worked, as he smiled with glee. Off to the side, though, someone else did not seem happy about them bonding. And she did something about it, as she walked up to them just as it looked like Bridgette had puckered up and was going in for a kiss... and she pulled Geoff away.

"What are you doing?" Kelly growled.

She pushed Geoff towards the rest of the team and then turned her attention on Bridgette.

"Get back on the sideline before you get us DQ'd!"

Bridgette wanted to say something back to Kelly for interrupting her moment with Geoff. But a voice of reason shouted at her to not say anything.

A voice belonging to Jen, who was on the opposite sideline.

"Let it go! She'll get what's coming to her!"

Bridgette seemed satisfied by that claim, and she walked back to the bench. Kelly, though...

"Was that a threat?" she grumbled as she took a few steps towards Jen.

"All I'll say is, your team better win this challenge! Or else!"

_Confessional Cam - Kelly_

_"I knew it! Bridgette's colluding with Jen and Courtney to get me out of this game! I'm so gonna get them back for this!"_

"You better score!" Kelly threatened Darth. "Or else!"

"Nice try, temptress," he fired back, "but you're not the boss of me!"

Kelly was stunned silent as Darth put on his helmet and walked to the starting line. Courtney, meanwhile, was ready to go in as Jonesy returned to his teammates. But he pointed at...

"Trent!"

"**WHAT?**"

Trent shrugged, then started walking towards the line. Courtney gave Jonesy another dissatisfied look.

"When do I get my turn? Huh, Jonesy?"

_Confessional Cam - Jonesy_

_"If I had my way... never! We've gotta put this challenge out of reach so those big behemoths don't get the chance to put their hands on my Courtney!"_

Despite Courtney's protests, the second round was going to be Trent versus Darth. Coach blew the whistle, and the two took off. Both immediately showed their intention to split the field by getting to and running along the sidelines.

That plan worked for all of two seconds, as the moment one of the players got within five yards of Darth, he chickened out as he tossed his ball up in the air and ran for his life in the opposite direction. As for Trent, he was shoulder-rammed by one of the other players, and he went tumbling over the barrier and out of bounds.

"You call that scoring a touchdown?" grumbled Coach. "**UNACCEPTABLE!**"

[Team Vets 0 - Team Groms 0]

Trent moaned in pain, as he raised one hand in the air to show he was okay... somewhat.

* * *

><p>"You're letting Jen go but not me?"<p>

Courtney was getting more pissed off by the minute as Trent limped back over and Jonesy instructed Jen to go next. Jen sneaked away before Courtney could try to force her to switch places. But she had another problem, as the Groms decided to have Caitlin go next. And she was scared for her life, as made apparent by the fact she was already crying like a baby and her mascara was running down her face.

"**WAAAAHHHH!** Jen, tell them they can't make me do this!"

"Uh..."

"**MASTERSON!**" Coach shouted her name. "Stop stalling and get over here!"

"Look," Jen suggested, "just run a few yards, then pretend to trip, and fall to the ground. No one's gonna know the difference, and they're not allowed to tackle you once you're down. Okay?"

Caitlin stopped crying and nodded in compliance.

"I didn't even think of that! Thanks, Jen!"

The two hugged, then put on their helmets before marching to the line.

"**SCORE A TOUCHDOWN!**" Coach ordered them, followed immediately by a blowing of the whistle.

Jen took off, trailed by Caitlin. The latter ran about five yards before stopping, while Jen continued forward.

"Now..." Caitlin thought aloud, "I was supposed to..."

"Run, Cait!" Bridgette shouted from the sidelines. "**RUN!**"

But it was too late, as before Caitlin knew it, she was hit hard by the largest of the players, who had been going at near-full speed.

"Ooh," winced Ty. "That didn't sound good."

"Caitlin!" cried out the rest of her team, with concern.

* * *

><p>"Give her some room, <strong>GIVE HER SOME ROOM!<strong>"

Coach was trying to get everyone from both teams, whom had gathered around the fallen Caitlin, who was being attended to by the show's medical staff. She was lying flat on her back, and her helmet had been taken off so they could check her vitals. Suddenly, one of them broke a small pack of smelling salts near her nose. Immediately, Caitlin opened her eyes, finally becoming conscious again.

"Ugh..." she groaned. "Wha... what happened? I feel like I just got run over by a truck!"

"Caitlin!" Jen shouted in relief as she knelt down next to her friend. "Are you okay?"

Caitlin nodded. One of the paramedics held up two fingers in front of her face.

"Miss, how many fingers am I holding up?"

"Um... two?"

"She's good. Let's get her up."

With the help of Jen, Geoff, and Ty, the medics pulled Caitlin up off the ground and to her feet. Jen then backed off, letting Caitlin's own teammates assist her over to the sideline.

"You're a good friend, Masterson," Coach said to Jen. "Abandoning a chance to win to make sure your friend is okay, even if she is on the other team."

"Thanks, Coach. I really appreci-"

"But the name of the challenge is Score a Touchdown! Plus, what kind of athlete just drops the ball voluntarily? Drop and give me twenty!"

Jen sighed, then began doing push-ups... in full pads, which made it a lot tougher.

"See," Jonesy pointed out to Courtney. "This is what I'm talking about! That's it... I'm having Cody go next."

"Are you crazy? You'd pick Cody to go in before me?"

"What?" Cody freaked, jumping in to plead Jonesy to change his mind. "You'd pick me before Courtney? You **WANT** me to die?"

"You guys saw what happened!" argued Jonesy. "Caitlin got destroyed by that dude!"

"But I'm not Caitlin!" shouted Courtney. "I'm not frail and weak!"

Cody began begging. "Please, Jonesy! I'll do anything to swap places with Courtney! I don't want to do this!"

"Sorry! But my mind's made up!"

Jonesy pushed a helmet into Cody's chest, then started walking to the sideline. Courtney followed him, still trying to plead her case.

"What's the deal? You **KNOW** I stand a better chance of succeeding than Cody does! He even thinks so himself!"

Jonesy stopped, turned around, grabbed a hold of Courtney by the shoulders, and stared worriedly into her eyes.

"I don't want to see you get hurt. Caitlin was lucky to just get the wind knocked out of her! I don't know what I'd do if you took the same hit and you ended up getting injured... or disfigured!"

Courtney calmly batted Jonesy's arms off of her.

"Look. As much as I think it's sweet that you care about my well-being, our relationship is supposed to be completely professional! That's it! I watch your back, you watch mine. Stop treating me as if we're romantically involved! We're not!"

They heard a whistle behind them, and the fourth round had begun.

"Get it through your thick skull, Jonesy! I wouldn't be your boyfriend even if you were the last guy on Earth!"

Jonesy took a minute to process Courtney's statement. As he did, they heard Coach blow the whistle. Round four had just ended.

"So... you're saying I still have a chance, right?"

Courtney threw her hands up in frustration, growling angrily. She felt like smacking Jonesy, but Cody stepped in to interrupt them.

"Your t-turn," he stumbled in, pointing at Courtney before fainting on the ground in front of her.

_Confessional Cam - Jonesy_

_"I know I should quit before she hurts me, literally... but come on! Never say never until she says never! That's what I say!"_

_Confessional Cam - Courtney_

_"Are all guys from that neck of Toronto **THAT** desperate? Sheesh!"_

_[End Act Two]_

* * *

><p>"This is the worst display of football playing I've ever seen!"<p>

Coach was berating Courtney and Kelly, who were each their team's last chance to get into the end zone.

[Team Vets 0 - Team Groms 0]

"I'm not expecting much from either of you, but everyone has to have a turn, so..."

Coach lifted up his whistle to blow in it, so the girls put on their helmets. Courtney and Kelly glared at each other, then turned their attention to the four guys waiting to stop them downfield. The whistle was blown, and they started their run. The closest two guys charged forward to meet the girls.

"I can't look!" Jonesy said, as he covered his eyes.

The one going for Courtney decided to go for a diving tackle. But Courtney saw it coming, and skillfully sidestepped it. She pressed her free hand against the back of the tackler's helmet, giving her a slight push-off before allowing him to hit the turf.

"If she can do it," Kelly told herself after seeing Courtney's act.

Kelly tried to do the same thing to her man, but he was not having any of it, as he wrapped his arms around her and easily brought her down.

"Get off me, you lug!"

Courtney charged head-on for the next guy, who ran towards her at an angle. He stayed on his feet and succeeded in getting his arms around her midsection. But she stiff-armed the guy and broke the tackle.

"Keep your arms to yourself!" she told him.

Finally, she was within ten yards of the goal line.

"Go, Courtney!" Cody, Jen, and Trent all screamed.

Jonesy lowered his arms from his eyes, and saw that Courtney was still going. But the guy she had just shaken was back on his feet and giving chase, while the last man, the same one who had knocked Caitlin out earlier, was charging in from Courtney's left, intending to ram into her just short of the goal line.

"Courtney!" Jonesy shouted. "**DIVE!**"

Courtney heard Jonesy's call, and dived from the three-and-a-half yard line. The guy behind her reached out to grab her as she left her feet, and on pure instinct she extended her arms forward, trying to stretch the ball over the line. Just as it looked like she had succeeded in reaching it, she was drilled by the big guy. Courtney hit the ground on her back, hard enough to dislodge the ball from her hand.

"**COURTNEY!**"

Coach who was standing right at the goal line, raised both his arms straight up in the air as he blew his whistle. He then let it fall out of his mouth to announce.

"**TOUCHDOWN, THAT'S A TOUCHDOWN!**"

"Courtney scored!" Trent shouted. "But that means..."

"We won!" Cody jumped for joy. "We won the challenge!"

The Vets ran over to congratulate Courtney as the two men on top of her got off of her, while the Groms also went there as well... but to protest.

"Hold on!" Darth objected. "She never reached the end zone!"

"Besides," added Kelly, who was limping on her left leg, "she dropped the ball!"

She pointed to the football, which was on the ground and clearly not in Courtney's hand. The only thing in her hand... was Jonesy's hand, as he was the first to reach her, as he pulled her up to a sitting position.

"Are you okay?" he asked her.

"Forget about me! Did I score?"

"By my own eyes," Coach Halder explained, "I saw the ball come across the line and break the plane of the end zone. By rule, the second that happens, the player scores and the play is dead."

To prove it, a replay monitor had been set up. The goal-line stretch by Courtney was shown once again, and in slow motion, they saw that she had extended just enough to get the nose of the ball clearly past the other side of the goal line. And, more importantly, at that exact moment, no part of her body was touching the ground.

"So you mean..." Bridgette gulped, "we lost another challenge?"

"Bummer," Ty commented.

[Team Vets $150,000 - Team Groms $75,000]

The Vets cheered in celebration, as they picked Courtney off of the ground and gave her a hero's carry off the field. She would be happier about it... if she was not aching in pain all over.

"Thanks! Ow! Be careful! Eek! And watch the hands, Jonesy!"

* * *

><p>On the way to Castoff Beach, Kelly was sitting all by her lonesome self, contemplating her future in the game. As she stared out the window of the bus, Geoff, Bridgette, Darth, and Julie seemed to be in high spirits despite losing the challenge.<p>

"They're going to pick Kelly," Julie predicted. "They want her gone as much as we do."

"And for once," Bridgette said with a smile on her face, "I feel totally safe."

* * *

><p>The Vets were in the midst of deliberations, even though they all clearly were in various states of distress and pain after the challenge. Courtney was aching the most after the hard shot her back took, but she was still up to participating in the discussion. As for the vote...<p>

"Four to one," Jen sighed. "I'm doing the challenge, huh?"

"Don't worry," Trent put a hand on her shoulder. "You'll do great!"

"As for the Groms... I nominate Kelly."

"And I second!"

"Hold up," Jonesy objected. "I still think Bridgette's the bigger threat. I nominate her."

Cody nodded. "I second that!"

"Two to two," Jen noted. "Then that means..."

Everyone's eyes gazed upon Courtney. It was up to her to break the tie.

"It's obvious who Courtney wants, but..."

Courtney raised her hand to cut off Jen.

"Uh, actually..."

* * *

><p>[Castoff Beach]<p>

Bridgette was in total shock as Coach Halder had grabbed her by the arm and pulled her to the wheel.

"You guys picked Bridgette?" Geoff shouted, unhappy with the decision.

Most of his anger was directed towards Trent, who was picked to be his team's spokesman. But while Geoff was angry towards the Vets, the rest of the Groms directed their displeasure towards Kelly, who was flashing a smile after she had been spared.

A few seconds later, Trent stated Jen would be Bridgette's opponent, and she stepped forward.

"What happened?" Bridgette asked Jen. "I thought the plan was to put Kelly up for elimination!"

"That **WAS** the plan," Jen noted, trying to hint that someone changed their mind... without calling said person out.

"Okay, Masterson," Coach said, pointing to the wheel. "You're representing the winning team, so you get to spin."

Jen stepped forward and gave the wheel a whirl. It would come to a stop on 'Tug of Eternity.'

* * *

><p>[Tug of Eternity]<p>

The girls were connected by a large rope, with the ends tied around their waists. Their teams cheered for their girl to win, as Coach blew the whistle, officially beginning the challenge. Both Jen and Bridgette grabbed a hold of the rope and tried to pull the other towards them as hard as they could.

"Come on, babe!" Geoff called out. "Pull! **PULL!**"

Bridgette gritted her teeth as she rearranged her hands to get a better grip. At the same time, though, Jen dug the back of her heels into the sand, and she decided to give the rope a big tug. Bridgette was not expecting, and she fell forward and into the sand. Seeing her opportunity, Jen turned around and made a break for it. She was trying to pull Bridgette over the center line before she could get back to her feet. But, after a few steps, she felt the rope around her waist pulling at her.

"I'm not going down that easily!"

Jen turned and saw Bridgette was back up. And even though she had sand in her hair and on her clothes, Bridgette had not given up, as now she was the one with her heels dug deep into the ground. She slowly began to make up ground as Jen needed a few seconds to reset her stance.

"Go, Jen!" cheered Cody. "Go!"

Once Jen was set, though, the two were pulling at even strength once again. Coach Halder just stood there and observed as both girls fought for any leverage they could get.

"I refuse to lose!" Bridgette shouted. "I'm not ready to go home!"

"Well, I'm not either!" fired back Jen. "I'm making it to the finale this year, one way or another!"

Jen felt a rush as she got her second wind. She tapped into what was left in her reserves and made one final hard tug. Bridgette tried to match it, but despite not even competing in the main challenge, she had no energy to spare. Bridgette felt herself being pulled forward, losing her footing and stumbling towards Jen, foot after foot, until she fell on her face for the second time.

But this time when she landed, her entire body had crossed over and landed on Jen's side of the center line.

"Over!" Coach declared. "Masterson wins!"

Upon hearing that, Jen dropped down on all fours, bending over as she gasped for air. She was swarmed by a couple interns, who untied the rope from her waist, and then by her teammates, who had come to congratulate her on surviving once again. On the other end of the rope, all of Bridgette's teammates had come over to give her a hug farewell. All except Kelly, who stayed back. Geoff ended up being the last one to wish Bridgette off.

"And, once again, it looks like you're outlasting me."

"Maybe so. But I promise, Bridge... I'll make it to the finale, and win it just for you!"

"I know you will!"

To show her faith, Bridgette gave her boyfriend a kiss on the lips. A restrained, blink-and-you-will-miss-it kiss, but one as passionate as any they had shared before. Bridgette began to head for the raft, but stopped when she saw the Vets wanted to wish her off to.

"Oh, what the heck! We're all friends!"

Bridgette ran over and the Vets smothered her in a group hug.

"Sorry you have to go," Trent told her.

"We'll miss you!" exclaimed Jen.

Courtney was about to say something, but decided to keep her mouth shut. Eventually, they let Bridgette go, and she made the long walk to the raft. She climbed aboard and sat cross-legged, facing shore. She waved goodbye one last time as she was pushed away and the tide carried her out.

"Wait, they're **ACTUALLY** sending her out to sea?" Coach shouted. "That's insane! She'll die out there!"

"I'm pretty sure all the cast-offs get picked up by a boat at some point," Jen told him. "Leaving them adrift would be... insane!"

"**MASTERSON!** You're ruining the magic of televised reality series as we know it! Drop and give me..."

"I know..."

Jen got down and started doing push-ups as Bridgette did nothing but silently and sadly wave as she disappeared over the horizon.

_Confessional Cam - Courtney_

_"I hope Bridgette can forgive me. But we're long overdue for a water-based challenge, and I couldn't risk her being around. Gotta make sure there's enough of us for there to be a team at the end. But I assure you, Bridgette, you're not being sacrificed in vain! Kelly's by far the strongest girl left on the Groms, and we're all in agreement that she's gotta go next! Even if I have to take her down myself!"_

**End Episode Nine**

**Author's Notes:**  
>Well, Blaineley got her wish. Bridgette's been eliminated, even though she's not around to see it. I wonder how she'll react to the good news (it's good news to her, anyway).<p>

Meanwhile, Kelly dodges another bullet! No one likes her, and yet she's still here. I hope everyone realizes this isn't one of those 'peers pick the winner at the end' deals before it's too late to get rid of her.

**Next up:** Episode 10 - Next Thursday, August 11th, 7 pm EST!


	10. Smarts Only Get You So Far

**"Fresh Challenge: Vets vs. Groms"**  
><strong>Story Written by Freedom Fighter<strong>

Ever wish the life of the most annoying person on your team (in your honest opinion) was in your hands and how fast you completed the challenge would determine their fate? Why don't we find out?

**Disclaimer:** All characters are the property of Fresh TV, Inc.

* * *

><p><em>20 teens, 3 weeks, $300,000 on the line<em>  
><em>And only one team to split the prize<em>

_[Cast Intros]_  
><em>Fin and Lo are in the midst of a staring match<em>  
><em>Trent is trying to teach Ty how to play guitar<em>  
><em>Sierra hugs Cody to the point his face is turning blue<em>  
><em>Jen reaches out to help, but Darth shakes his head<em>  
><em>Owen and Ripper produce fart clouds together...<em>  
><em>And Kelly and Caitlin cover their noses and run away<em>  
><em>Jonesy hands Wyatt a book that says 'How to Score Chicks'<em>  
><em>Courtney chats with Bridgette, even though she looks...<em>  
><em>Over at Geoff, who is giving Julie an autograph<em>  
><em>And Reef snatches a crown off of Heather's head and puts it on his<em>

_The twenty competitors then appeared on a boat in the Atlantic Ocean, approaching the Florida Keys. Blaineley was shown behind the wheel, driving them to their destination._

_[Blaineley]_  
><em>Two teams<em>  
><em>13 challenges<em>  
><em>May the best team win!<em>  
><em>This is 'Fresh Challenge: Vets vs. Groms!'<em>

**-**  
><strong>Fresh Challenge: Vets vs. Groms<br>Episode Ten - Smarts Only Get You So Far (08.11.11)**  
><strong>-<strong>

After the cast had gotten back to the house, Geoff was seen sulking as he sat on his bed. Ty came in to comfort him.

"What's up, my man? Still bummed about Bridgette?"

"She's my world, dude! I don't know if I can survive here without her."

"You have to! You're the only one left on our team that's been on a reality show before. We need you to survive."

"Easy for you to say! Your girlfriend's still here. Speaking of Kelly... you know how much of a witch she is, right?"

"Kel?" Ty shrugged. "I mean, sure, she's not the easiest person to get along with, but..."

"Bridge told me Kelly was trying to find a way to get rid of her. And, look, bro... it happened! You better be careful... or she may find a way to dump you too!"

Geoff got up and walked out of the room, leaving a befuddled Ty behind.

_Confessional Cam - Ty_

_"I try to befriend the guy, and then he tells me that Kel can't be trusted? I'm starting to think Geoff is the one that can't be believed around here."_

As Geoff stomped upstairs, he passed by Caitlin, who was coming down.

"Hey, Geoff! Sorry about Bridgette..."

"Whatever," he grumbled.

Caitlin gasped as Geoff kept going. Caitlin got to the bottom and met up with Jen, who was out in the backyard.

"There you are!" Jen sighed in relief, before noting the sad look on Caitlin's face. "Hey, what's wrong?"

"I ran into Geoff on the stairs. He wasn't exactly in the best of moods."

"Oh, he'll be fine. Bridgette meant a lot to him. How would you feel if the love of your life became lost at sea?"

"Good point."

Caitlin then thought about it.

"Good point."

"Uh huh, Cait. I get it."

Caitlin then ran back inside. Jen scratched her head in confusion.

"Wasn't she supposed to help me with something?"

_Confessional Cam - Caitlin_

_"Jen's right! Without Bridgette around, Geoff's kind of out of it. I guess maybe it's time he went, too."_

* * *

><p>The next morning...<p>

"Hi, peeps!" Blaineley greeted. "I'm still here in Key West, back and better than ever! Bridgette thought she could get rid of me, but now, I'm going to get rid of her!"

She showed that she was standing in front of the cast's house, and she proceeded to knock on the door. It was answered by Geoff, Julie, and Cody. Blaineley pushed her way past them and inside.

"Alright, you peons? Where's Bridgette? Thinks she can accuse **ME** of fixing the game? Thanks to her, the producers didn't pay me yesterday even though they said they would when I was off at my scheduled parole meeting!"

"Uh..." Geoff began to say.

"So, where is she? I wanna rub it in her face that I'm still here!"

"Nobody told you?" Cody finally asked her. "Bridgette's gone."

Blaineley froze.

"I'm sorry... what did you say?"

"Bridgette. She's gone."

Blaineley's left eye began to twitch.

"You should think about getting that checked," pointed out Julie.

"**WHAT?**" screamed Blaineley.

Everyone else popped their heads in, whether from a side room or peeking down from atop the stairs.

"No, seriously, you could have a medical condition..."

"**YOU GUYS GOT RID OF BRIDGETTE AND I WASN'T HERE TO SEE IT?**"

"To be fair," Caitlin answered, "it was Jen's fault."

"Caitlin!" Jen snapped at her.

"Sorry, but you were the one who took her on in the challenge."

"You don't have to tell her that!"

"**THAT'S IT!**" Blaineley yelled. "**CHALLENGE! NOW!**"

"But..." Geoff began to object.

"**ANYONE WHO'S NOT ON THE BUS WHEN IT GETS HERE IN TEN MINUTES, YOU'RE OUT OF THE GAME! MOVE IT!**"

With that, everyone rushed to get ready.

* * *

><p>Some unknown amount of time later, the 11 remaining competitors were gathered at today's challenge location. On one side of the beach were two large ten-gallon tanks, each of which had a large hose attached to the top on one end and the other to a tanker truck. On the other side was two large grids covered by tarps. And in the middle were eight jugs - four for each team. There was a one-gallon container, two two-gallon ones, and a large, five-gallon one for each team. Blaineley began to explain the challenge.<p>

"Today's challenge is called 'Tank to Tank.' On my cue, those large tanks over there will begin to fill with water. Your job is to take your jugs and fill them. You'll need all of that water to complete the puzzle hidden under that tarp. Which I'll explain later. If I feel like it."

"If you feel... like it?" questioned Kelly.

"That's it! You're going in the tank!"

Kelly puts her hands on her hips. "What does **THAT** mean?"

* * *

><p>"Oh. That's what <strong>THAT<strong> means."

Kelly, now wearing a life jacket, found herself standing inside one of the tanks.

"I get why she's in here..."

Pan over to Courtney, who was in the other tank.

"...but why am **I** in here?"

Blaineley glared at Courtney. "I just watched the footage from the last episode. You're the reason Bridgette's not here any more... and why Kelly's still here!"

"Hello!" interrupted Kelly. "I'm right here, y'know!"

"Is this safe?" Courtney asked. "I'm going to refuse to participate if this thing's not safe!"

"Oh, it's safe," Blaineley assured her.

She turned around and walked away, before adding, under her breath...

"...for about ten minutes."

She then walked over to the others.

"Okay, Groms, you guys need to sit one person out. Caitlin, it's you."

"But I actually don't wanna sit out today..."

"You're sitting out. The rest of you are doing the challenge! And for those of you at home, the challenge starts... right after these messages!"

_[End Act One]_

* * *

><p>[Challenge 10: Tank to Tank]<p>

With a snap of her fingers, the 10-gallon tanks that Courtney and Kelly were sitting in began to fill with water, coming down on each of their heads and soaking their hair instantly. Their teammates stood at the starting line, waiting for the signal to go. But Blaineley just stared at them, not in any rush to send them off.

"Um," Trent spoke up, "are we starting any time soon?"

"I'm sure those two will drown if we don't act quickly," Darth pointed out, before adding, "though in Kelly's case..."

"Just a little bit longer..." Blaineley told them, as she flashed a smile.

"I see water coming in, but none going out!" Courtney shouted. "If I drown, I swear I'm suing everyone on this show!"

"Good luck with that," grumbled Kelly, "especially when you find out you can't contact lawyers **WHEN YOU'RE DEAD**!"

Finally, when the tank read one gallon full...

"Okay, teams... **GO!**"

Both teams sprinted to their containers, picked them up, and headed over to the tanks. The Vets go to theirs first, followed by the Groms, and both teams opened their spouts to begin transferring water into their containers.

"Hurry up!" Courtney bellowed. "This thing is filling up fast!"

"Don't worry!" Trent assured her. "We've got it."

The Vets had decided to start with one of the two-gallon containers, while the Groms had picked the five-gallon one as the most important.

"Why does it feel like you're not doing anything?" scolded Kelly, as the water level continued to rise.

Blaineley came in to explain. "That's because the max rate of liquid exiting is a half-gallon per minute, while the rate coming in is a **WHOLE** gallon a minute!"

Kelly seethed at the hostess. "You're enjoying this, aren't you?"

"Pretty much."

The teams continued to work, going as fast as they could. The Vets stuck with filling the smaller containers first, while the Groms were still waiting for the five-gallon to fill completely. Suddenly, Kelly felt herself losing touch with the bottom, as her life vest was doing its job by keeping her floating at the surface.

"This isn't working!" Kelly cried.

Courtney was in a similar situation, but given she was a few inches taller than Kelly, she could still touch the bottom, even with the water now up to the top of her chest. Then, suddenly, water stopped coming into the tank.

"Thank goodness!" exclaimed Courtney. "I was getting worried for a second."

"Attention, everyone!" Blaineley shouted. "The initial ten gallons has been completely emptied into the tank!"

"What does she mean by initial?" Jen asked, fearful of the answer.

"The tanker operators have been instructed to restart the hoses and dump **ANOTHER** ten gallons in beginning in 15 minutes from now!"

[Time until tank starts filling again: 15:00 - 14:59]

"That's not good," Geoff stated matter-of-factly.

"Hurry up!" ordered Darth. "Fill that container!"

"This thing can't go any faster!" Ty shouted.

Shortly thereafter, the Groms' five-gallon container was finally completely full. Julie shut off the hose, Darth pulled it out of the container, leaving Geoff and Ty to pick it up and lug it out of the way. Darth then moved the first of the two two-gallon jugs under the spout and they began filling that one.

"At the current rate," Julie calculated, "I project by the time we empty Kelly's tank, we'll have roughly four minutes before it starts filling up again."

"Can we solve a puzzle in four minutes?" Ty wondered out loud.

"You better!" griped Kelly. "Or else!"

The Vets had came to the same conclusion, just as they finally moved on to filling the five-gallon container.

"This puzzle better be easy," Cody gulped audibly. "Or else Courtney's gonna get a whole lot wetter!"

Limited by the speed of their hoses, the next few minutes were filled with anxiety for both teams. But eventually...

"That's it!" Jen shouted as water stopped coming out of the hose.

She pulled the hose out and tossed it on the ground.

"Vets are beginning the trek to the puzzle!" Blaineley announced.

Cody picked up the one-gallon jug, Jen and Trent each got a two-gallon one, leaving Jonesy with the large, five-gallon container.

"Drop a single drop, and you're **FINISHED**!" yelled Courtney.

"Not happenin', babe!" Jonesy told her. "I got this!"

Or so he thought... apparently, 40-plus pounds was difficult for one guy of his size to lift off the ground. So he had no choice but to starting dragging it.

[Time until tank starts filling again: 4:08 - 4:07]

As Jonesy struggled, the Groms were about to top off their last jug, the one-gallon one. Once it was filled...

"Done!" Ty said, shaking out the final few drops.

Darth turned off the dispenser.

"Go, go!" Kelly barked. "If I drown, it's on all of your heads!"

Blaineley was waiting for the Vets over the still-covered puzzles. Trent placed his container on the ground, then, aware Jonesy was in trouble, ran back to help him.

"Time to reveal your puzzle!" Blaineley told them.

She clapped her hands, and the tarps were pulled off to reveal two water transfer systems, made up of dispensers, pipes, closed tanks, open tanks, and a switch valve. Some of it was already in place, but most of it was scattered on the ground in front of them.

"To win the challenge, you must move the water in your containers to those dispensers. From those dispensers, you must set up your system in such a way that all six tanks are filled to the brim **WITHOUT** wasting a drop! Failure to do so means you must go get more water and try again."

"Wait a minute," Jen realized. "You mean we filled these containers, and then we have to dump them into dispensers that are the exact same size?"

"Yep!"

"Isn't that inefficient?"

"Ha ha!" laughed Blaineley. "Honey, nobody saying anything about efficiency!"

Blaineley then walked over to the other side to tell the same thing to the incoming Groms, which left Jen and Cody to begin figuring out what to do.

"We're not plumbers!" shouted Cody, as panic was already starting to set in. "Courtney's going to have a cow!"

"Forget Courtney!" Jen told him. "Figuring out this puzzle saves her, alright?"

Meanwhile, Julie reached her team's puzzle first, as she was carrying the one-gallon jug. Ty followed with both of the two-gallon ones, and last came Geoff and Darth, who worked together to bring in the five-gallon one. Blaineley explained the puzzle to them. After she was finished...

"That sounds highly complex," thought Ty out loud.

"So what?" hissed Blaineley. "Deal with it!"

[Time until tank starts filling again: 3:24 - 3:23]

Both teams were now in a race against the clock. Thankfully, they had been given instructions explaining the functions of all of the pieces, and no tools were required as pieces were to be snapped into the vertical grid via the pegs embedded in the back of them. Each of the dispensers had a cap on it, which had two red wires that came out of it, ran down the side, and into and out of one of the pegs.

"When attached to the control panel," Darth read aloud, "the caps will open, allowing all of the water inside out."

"I guess we start filling," hinted Geoff as he motioned for Ty to help him bring the five-gallon container over to the dispenser.

Over with the Vets, Jonesy and Trent had arrived as Cody sorted the pieces and Jen was checking over the instructions.

"Open tanks are equipped with a valve on the side that automatically opens when it reaches its maximum capacity. Having pipes and/or other tanks to funnel or catch the exiting water is recommended."

One of the open tanks was attached to the wall, and it had a '3' on the spout. The spout itself was already connected to a pipe that was pointing downward. It was just to the right of the center of the grid, and the bottom of it was two-and-a-half feet off the ground.

"You **MUST** use all of the pieces," Blaineley told them. "The good news is that although there are multiple possible solutions, you only have to find one!"

Jen and Darth, respectively, took it upon themselves to act as foremen, as they stepped back and instructed their teammates on where to snap pieces into place.

"That has to be near the ground!" Jen told Jonesy, who was holding up a clear tank with a '2' on it.

"You sure?"

"Yes! Don't question me!"

Each team also had the use of a hydraulic lift that could raise people and cargo up off the ground. Ty and Geoff were on it, along with two open tanks, each with a '1' on them, two straight pipes, and two L-shaped pipes. As Darth watched them rise, Julie came over with the switch valve. Like the caps on the dispensers, it also had wires sticking out of the center of the peg.

"According to the instructions," Julie told Darth, "this valve controls which end water is allowed to exit it. A sensor inside closes one valve and opens the other automatically once a gallon of liquid has passed through it."

"What's with the arrow?" Darth asked, noting that it was pointing to his left.

"The arrow designates which valve is currently open."

"I see. We must be very careful about where we place that."

On the other side, Jen was holding her switch valve in her hand, but was still trying to discern where to place it. Work continued for several minutes, and it looks like both teams were making progress...

[Time until tank starts filling again: 0:01 - 0:00]

Both teams started to hear the sound of gushing water, and it was getting louder. A few of them turned around and saw the tanks that Courtney and Kelly were in begin to fill with water once again.

"The girls' tanks are being filled again!" Blaineley told them. "In ten minutes, those tanks will be at capacity! Better hustle!"

Both sides continued without missing a beat, but that only lasted until the hostess noticed water coming out of Courtney's tank. The Vets had not closed the valve connected to the dispenser, and thus, water was now coming out of the hose.

"**STOP! STOP!**"

Pretty much everyone on both sides halted, and they turned to face Blaineley.

"Wasting water? Apparently, one team is in the mood to get disqualified!"

"**WHAT?**" screamed the four Team Vets' members.

_[End Act Two]_

* * *

><p>The water had just been turned back on, and Courtney and Kelly were being drenched once again. Courtney was getting sort of a reprieve, though, as her team had forgotten to close the valve at the dispenser, thus allowing water to flow out of the hose connected to it. That, however, did not please Blaineley.<p>

"Wasting water? Apparently, one team is in the mood to get disqualified!"

"**WHAT?**" screamed the four Team Vets' members.

"Someone go turn off that water this instant, or you're forfeiting the challenge!"

"Oh, come on!" whined Jen.

"**NOW!**"

"**GOT IT!**" Jonesy called out.

"No, I need you right now! Cody, you go do it!"

Cody nodded.

_Confessional Cam - Cody_

_"Jen needs Jonesy more than me? Dang... I guess that makes me the dead weight on this team. Sigh... as usual."_

Cody ran back to the tank as Jen ordered Jonesy and Trent to start putting stuff on the hydraulic lift.

"What are you doing?" Courtney asked Cody as he reached for the valve.

"Blaineley's threatening to DQ us unless I turn this off!" Cody replied as he did just that.

* * *

><p>A few minutes later, both teams' water systems were starting to come together. On the Groms' side, they were already beginning to put the dispensers in place. The Vets still had to finish filling theirs before they could put them on the lift.<p>

"Heads up," Blaineley reminded them, "if you value your teammate's lives, I suggest you pick up the pace!"

[Approximate amount of water in tanks: 5 gallons]

Kelly was floating once again, while Courtney was getting awfully close to doing the same. But her team's unplanned leak had the benefit of leaving her water level a few inches below Kelly's.

"What's taking so long?" screeched Kelly.

"Eew!" Courtney cried out as she looked at her fingers. "I'm pruning!"

Kelly gasped in horror when she realized the same was happening to her.

"I demand to be let out of here this instant!"

Back over with their teammates, Jonesy and Cody were emptying the contents of the five-gallon container into the five-gallon dispenser. Unfortunately, their aim was not the best, and a good amount of water was landing on the ground. As a result, when they finished filling it, there was still room at the top.

"We have to get more water!" Cody instantly decided.

"Chill," Jonesy calmed him down. "I'm sure Jen's not gonna notice!"

"**AHHHH!**"

"Then again..."

Jen had ran over, noticing the not-quite-full dispenser and the small puddle that had formed under it thanks to all the spilled water.

"We need every drop! Can't you guys do **ANYTHING** right?"

She snatched the container from her stepbrother and shoved it into Cody's chest.

"Go get some more! **NOW!**"

"Why me?"

Jen growled at him. That scared Cody into following orders.

"Going! Going!"

Cody ran off, leaving Jen to lash into Jonesy. But that did not let Cody completely off the hook, as he now had to answer to Courtney.

"What happened? Are you guys seriously trying to drown me?"

Cody ignored her as he started to put water in the container.

"Are you even listening to me?"

Meanwhile, with the Groms, Darth let Julie direct as he had gone up on the lift with Geoff and Ty to install the dispensers. They had gotten the smaller ones, leaving only the five-gallon one to install. Darth was making sure the wires were getting through the wall.

"Okay, clear! Do it, guys!"

He stepped to the side to allow the guys to snap it in place.

"Hey, Blaineley!" Geoff called down to the hostess. "Let's light this sucker!"

Seeing the Groms' completed system, she signaled to the electricians to begin hooking up the wiring to the control panel.

"Groms, double-check your design while the wiring's being done. Vets, keep working! You may still be in this if their design's faulty!"

Trent and Jonesy were on the lift, going up to install the smaller dispensers, while Jen went over to the closed tanks and started to insert them in the lower right part of the grid.

"Are we all set, my love?" Darth asked Julie as he in the boys had been lowered to ground level.

"We're ready."

Ty then looked back at the tank, and at his girlfriend...

[Approximate amount of water in Kelly's tank: 7.5 gallons]

"What's going on?" Kelly asked. "**WHY ARE YOU ALL JUST STANDING AROUND?**"

She was too far away to hear what was going on. As she continued to scream, Cody had gotten about a gallon of water into his container and was on his way back to his team. By the time he got back, though, the wiring had been completed on the Groms' side, and Blaineley was ready to flip the on switch on the control panel.

"Last chance," Blaineley looked at the Groms. "If you're wrong, it may cost you the challenge!"

"**I AM NEVER WRONG!**" Darth boldly declared. "Flip it!"

Blaineley shrugged, then flipped the switch. Instantly, the caps on all four dispensers popped open, and water started to flow out of them. As the Groms watched the first few tanks begin to fill, the Vets were still rushing to get their design done.

"Come on, come on!" Jen said as she helped Cody top off the five-gallon dispenser.

They finished as Trent and Jonesy put in the last of the smaller dispensers. Jen motioned them to hurry back down. Meanwhile, Blaineley and the Groms were watching the excess water flow out of the open tanks, through the pipes and towards the switch valve. The latter worked as programmed, flipping the direction of water flow for every gallon that passed through. The Groms watched excitedly as the two closed tanks began to fill...

"**AAAAHHHHHH!**" Kelly screamed, as she began running out of empty space.

...and be done so to capacity, two gallons in the two-gallon tank, and one gallon in the single-gallon one.

"The Groms win!"

[Team Vets $150,000 - Team Groms $100,000]

The Groms high-fived each other with glee, while the Vets, particularly Jen, were not pleased as they all stood gathered by the lift. Back over at the tanks, water had stopped coming in. Just in time, too, as Kelly had to bend her head backwards and stare straight up into the sky just to keep it above water.

"What's going on?" she asked, unaware of what was going on. "Did we win?"

"Yes," grumbled Courtney, who still had about six inches between the top of the tank and her hair. "You guys won. Stupid team."

* * *

><p>At Castoff Beach deliberations, Kelly was still furiously trying to dry off and fix her hair as she watched Ty count the votes out loud. For some reason, they had decided to go straight to a secret ballot vote...<p>

"Geoff. Darth. Me. Geoff. Me. Darth. Hmmm... that's not good."

"A three-way tie?" Kelly argued. "Impossible! That **WASN'T** the plan!"

She started eying a few people, wondering who changed their vote.

"There must be a mistake! Everyone, vote again! And this time, get it right!"

They all went through a second round of voting, and again, Ty publicly tallied the votes.

"Geoff. Darth. Me. Darth. Geoff. Me. Three-way tie again."

"**OOOH!**" Kelly hissed. "This is unacceptable!"

She looked around the tent again, but no one seemed in any rush to admit who voted for whom.

"Somebody's gotta go into the challenge," Ty admitted.

"Well," Darth spoke up, "if you're expecting me to sacrifice myself, then you're a few galaxies short of a milky way, padawan!"

"I don't wanna go either," argued Geoff, "even if to avenge Bridge. No way!"

"One last vote," Kelly suggested. "But girls only! That way, we're sure to break the tie!"

Julie and Caitlin nodded in acceptance, but both were trying to hide any sign of nervousness. The trio voted rather quickly, and Ty went to tally it a third time.

"One vote for me. One vote for Darth. And the last vote... is for Geoff."

"A-ha! **I KNEW IT!**"

Kelly angrily turned her attention to Julie.

"Vote off Darth!"

"I'm not voting off my boyfriend! No matter what you say!"

The two of them growled at each other.

* * *

><p>[Castoff Beach]<p>

"Sorry," apologized Caitlin beforehand, "but we decided to put Jonesy in the challenge."

Jonesy stepped forward, but he did not seem afraid in the least.

"Do your worst, Cait! I can take on any guy on your team! Once that's done, I'll get some sugar from my girl!"

A quick glance over to Courtney saw that she was mad over losing the challenge... and water was still dripping out of her hair.

"Girls are much better when they're moist."

He began putting that image in his head, but it never completely formed as he saw both Blaineley and Caitlin glaring at him... and then getting kicked in the shins by Courtney.

"**AAAHHH!** I might need that leg!"

"You should've thought of that before you **OPENED YOUR MOUTH, JONESY!**"

"Please tell me you've picked someone good to go against him," Blaineley turned back to Caitlin.

Caitlin began to laugh nervously. "Well, um... about that..."

"**YOU COULDN'T DECIDE?**"

"Wow! How did you guess?"

Blaineley stomped past Caitlin and over to the Groms. Completely at random, she grabbed Darth and pushed him into Jonesy.

"Darth!" cried Julie.

"Darth?" questioned Caitlin.

"My princess!" wailed Darth.

"Since the cast of '6teen' can't seem to make decisions by themselves," explained Blaineley, "it's time one of you goes! Besides, it's the only way to guarantee one of you **DOES** leave!"

Blaineley pushed Caitlin back to her teammates, and then Darth over to the wheel.

"No need for all the pushing!" Caitlin shouted.

Darth spun the wheel to see what event he would be competing in against Jonesy for the right to stay in the game. It turned out to be...

* * *

><p>[Hang for Your Life]<p>

Jonesy and Darth stood on their platforms, ready to do battle on the ring course over the ocean.

"Take Jonesy down!" Julie shouted at Darth in encouragement.

"I will, my sweet! Weak-minded Jonesy is!"

"**HEY!** I can hear you, you know!"

"Jonesy!" Courtney shouted. "If you lose this, our alliance is over!"

"Yeah," Jen pointed out. "I think that goes without saying. Oh, and you and Jonesy? Eew?"

"**IT'S A BUSINESS PARTNERSHIP!**"

"Combatants, ready?" Blaineley counted them down. "3, 2, 1... **GO!**"

Both Jonesy and Darth reached out for the first ring and pulled themselves off of the platform. Jonesy did not take long to move on to the next one, then the third. Darth, though, was visibly straining almost immediately as he swung to the second ring and grabbed it with his free hand. Any momentum he had ceased instantly, and he found himself stretched too far.

"Hang in there, Darth!" Julie cheered him on.

But alas, the strain was too much. His arms gave out, and he went plummeting into the water. Trent and Cody applauded Jonesy for surviving yet another elimination challenge.

_Confessional Cam - Jonesy_

_"They keep trying to take me out, but they keep failing! I'm the best!"_

* * *

><p>Darth was tossed on the raft and pushed out to sea before he knew it. Julie ran a few feet into the water, waving for Darth to come back.<p>

"Darth!"

"Don't let the Dark Side envelope you, my princess!" he advised her as he floated farther off. "Beware the Dark Side!"

Speaking of which, Kelly came in and put a hand on Julie's shoulder.

"See, Julie? Even when things **DON'T** go exactly as planned, the outcome is always what I want. Keep that in mind before you even think about crossing me again!"

* * *

><p>In the editing studio at some later date, with Blaineley pausing the ending footage to make a comment.<p>

"And Darth makes ten! That leaves only two eliminations before the finale!"

Quick shot of each of the five remaining girls: Caitlin, Courtney, Jen, Julie, and Kelly.

"One of these girls **MUST** go before the final challenge! Find who the unluckiest of them all is, next time, on 'Fresh Challenge: Vets vs. Groms!'"

**End Episode Ten**

**Author's Notes:**  
>So despite leading his team to victory, Darth gets sent adrift! And also, for the first time since the end of Episode Two, the teams are even! Now the real fight begins!<p>

Only four girls can compete in the final challenge. Who will be the odd woman out? Make your predictions now, and I'll see you next week!

**Next up:** Episode 11 - Next Thursday, August 18th, 7 pm EST!


	11. Her Fin is Cooked

**"Fresh Challenge: Vets vs. Groms"**  
><strong>Story Written by Freedom Fighter<strong>

One more girl must go. And before you go assuming things and misinterpret the meaning of the episode's name... no, Fin doesn't come back and get eliminated again, all in the same week. No one gets do-overs here.

**Disclaimer:** All characters are the property of Fresh TV, Inc.

* * *

><p><em>20 teens, 3 weeks, $300,000 on the line<em>  
><em>And only one team to split the prize<em>

_[Blaineley]_  
><em>This is 'Fresh Challenge: Vets vs. Groms!'<em>

**-**  
><strong>Fresh Challenge: Vets vs. Groms<strong>  
><strong>Episode Eleven - Her Fin is Cooked (08.18.11)<strong>  
><strong>-<strong>

The morning after Darth's exit, Kelly walked downstairs and into the dining room. There were several conversations going on... Trent and Cody were chatting by the fridge, Jen and Caitlin were laughing at something as they sat at the dining table, and Geoff was whispering into Julie's ear. But all of that stopped the minute Kelly entered.

"Alright," she asked suspiciously, "what's up?"

Everyone in the room remained silent, with no one willing to answer her.

"What makes you think we're up to something?" Geoff asked.

"Yeah," laughed Caitlin, "it's not like we're all planning your demise or any- **OW!**"

Under the table, Jen had kicked Caitlin in the shin just hard enough for her to feel it. Caitlin quickly corrected herself.

"Oh! I mean... nothing. We're not up to nothing at all!"

Obviously, Kelly did not believe Caitlin. Yet she was not in any rush to do anything about it. She grabbed a banana out of the fruit basket on the counter and then left.

_Confessional Cam - Kelly_

_"Only one more elimination to dodge! But this may be the toughest one of all. Hmmm... better cash in on my insurance policy!"_

* * *

><p>Later that afternoon, Kelly finally found Jonesy, who had been out of the house since she had woke up.<p>

"Where have you been?" demanded Kelly. "Being alliance partners mean you have to be available when I need you!"

"He was with me!"

That retort had come from Courtney, who walked in the front door a few seconds after Jonesy had.

"What do you mean he was with you? What were you two doing?"

"Why should you know? It's none of your business!"

"Yeah," Jonesy nodded in agreement. "What she said!"

He then wrapped his arm around Courtney's back and grabbed a hold of her hip on the other side.

"Sorry, Kelly," smirked Courtney, "but Jonesy's with me now. Which means that any attempt by you to try to get us to vote anyone other than you into the elimination challenge won't work!"

Kelly frowned, knowing that she was beat.

"Then I'll just make sure my team wins today!"

"Good luck with that."

Kelly grumbled as she walked away, heading up the stairs and back to the girls' bedroom. Once Courtney was sure Kelly was not going to look back, she pinched Jonesy's hand until he let go of her hip. As for Kelly...

"Courtney may have closed that door, but I still have one option open to me..."

Whom that option was was not immediately apparent, until Kelly smiled upon seeing Caitlin's pink compact, which was sitting on the dresser.

* * *

><p>The next morning, the competitors woke up rather early and found a surprise waiting for them at their doorstep. It was a small, but somewhat heavy, cardboard box. Geoff carried it into the kitchen, where everyone gathered around as Trent opened it and start pulling cookbooks out of it.<p>

"Alright," chuckled Geoff, "is someone here an aspiring chef?"

"I hope so," Courtney griped. "We haven't had a decent meal here in days!"

But cookbooks were not the only item in the box, as Jonesy pulled out a white apron, which he promptly dropped into Courtney's arms.

"Then I guess you better start cooking, dumpling!"

Courtney picked up a book and was about to hit Jonesy upside the head with it, but Jen snatched it away. But not necessarily to stop her...

"Hey! There's a sticky note taped to the back of this book!"

Courtney peeled it off, and read what was on it.

"'Yellowtail.' Hmmm... what's that supposed to mean?"

"Here's another one!" Julie remarked as she saw one attached to a book that Cody was holding.

Julie read the word on that note aloud.

"'Snapper.' As in the fish?"

"I have a feeling today's challenge involves cooking," guessed Trent.

"No way!" grumbled Kelly. "I've never cooked anything in my life!"

Ty chuckled. "I guess there's a first time for everything, babe."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing! Just... we're all going to have to learn fast, that's all."

_Confessional Cam - Kelly_

_"Just because I work as a head waitresses doesn't mean I want to spend the rest of my life in or near a kitchen! Ty better realize that, or else!"_

* * *

><p>Half an hour later, the two teams found themselves at the Saint Mary's Soup Kitchen. And inside, with the box full of cookbooks sitting on a table, they found themselves face-to-face with Blaineley.<p>

"Good morning, competitors! We've got a special challenge lined up for you today!"

"If it has **ANYTHING** to do with feeding you..." grumbled Kelly.

"Like **I'D** eat any slop you amateurs would try to make! We've got three special guests coming in, and they alone will judge who wins today's challenge. By the way, today's challenge is called 'Snap-licious!'"

Everyone looked at her oddly.

"What? I came up with the name, and I like it!"

"And that's why we don't," commented Caitlin.

"Anyway, each team must cook lunch for the judges. The main dish, which must have yellowtail snapper in it, a side dish, which must have yellowtail snapper in it, and, lastly, a dessert, which..."

"Lemme guess," interrupted Jonesy. "must have yellowtail snapper?"

Blaineley pulled out an air horn out of nowhere and let it go off, right next to his left ear.

"**WRONG!** If you would've let me **FINISH...**"

"You could've given me brain damage!" complained Jonesy.

"I don't think you need any help with that," joked Julie.

"The dessert **MUST** be key lime pie! Since we **ARE** in Key West, after all."

"That'll be easy," Caitlin said without worry.

"And you have to make it all yourselves! No pre-made stuff!"

"Awww..."

"The good news? We're giving you the yellowtail snappers free-of-charge, already filleted and deboned! And you'll have access to any cooking utensils, apparatus, and the like in the kitchen. The bad news... you have to buy the rest of the ingredients yourselves, and your budget's extremely tight. Each team will **ONLY** be given $50 apiece to spend."

"But that doesn't help us," Courtney growled, "especially since we **DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT WE'RE GOING TO MAKE YET**!"

"Glad to see you're catching on. I leave for the grocery store in 15 minutes, and the ride's limited to two people per team. And I'm **ONLY** making one trip, so if you miss it... you're on your own!"

Everyone glanced at the clock, and saw that it read 9:30. Seeing that, members of both teams raced for the books, and there was a lot of pushing and shoving as both sides tried to get as many books as possible.

"Ahhh..." sighed Blaineley refreshingly, "I love the sound of chaos in the morning..."

_[End Act One]_

* * *

><p>[Challenge 11: Snap-licious!]<p>

Both teams furiously flipped through the cookbooks, searching for yellowtail snapper recipes.

"This is impossible!" Cody shouted. "We can't put together a meal plan in less than 15 minutes!"

"Never say never!" Jen told him. "We're going to do this, no matter what it takes!"

"Right!" agreed Courtney. "We're winning this challenge, and then we're taking Kelly down!"

Speaking of Kelly, she was not with her team, but instead had gone to the kitchen itself to see what was available to them.

_Confessional Cam - Kelly_

_"A good chef always knows what she's working with. At least, that's what I've heard."_

"Man, did we luck out!" Geoff said with a smile.

He held up a cookbook that had nothing but recipes for dishes with fish. A quick flip-through resulted in them finding a yellowtail recipe.

"That looks scrumptious!" Caitlin exclaimed.

"I agree!" nodded Geoff. "We're making that!"

_Confessional Cam - Geoff_

_"Even though I was head chef when we had a similar challenge back on 'Total Drama Island,' I decided to not take up the mantle again. Besides, someone else was more than willing."_

* * *

><p>"I'm loving the menu!" commented Kelly as Geoff wrote out a secondary list of ingredients. "As head chef, I approve!"<p>

"You **DO** realize that as head chef, you're solely responsible for our fates, right?"

"Yeah, yeah. Besides, I'm sure we can cook circles around the Vets!"

The Vets, meanwhile, were scrambling to put together an ingredient list.

"Is that it?" asked Jen, as she had a pen and notepad in hand.

"I dunno," hesitated Courtney. "Doesn't sound good enough."

"C'mon, girls!" Trent tried to keep both of them calm. "We don't have time to debate this!"

At that moment, Blaineley entered the room.

"Attention, everyone! This is the first and **ONLY** boarding call for a trip to the supermarket!"

Kelly grabbed the list, then Caitlin, and headed for the door. Jen looked as if she was about to pick Cody to go with her, but then he saw Jonesy cozying up to Courtney once again...

"So, since we have some time together..."

"Jonesy!"

"What, Jen? Can't you see I'm busy?"

"You're coming with me!"

Before Jonesy could object any further, Jen pulled him out of his seat and towards the door.

* * *

><p>Once at the supermarket, the two pairs of shoppers went their own separate ways. Each pair was given a $50 bill, and a strict time limit of 20 minutes to get everything they needed and to get to the register.<p>

The stepsiblings decided to start in the produce section...

"What's fennel?" Jonesy asked Jen.

"It's a vegetable!"

"Oh, thanks, Jen, that helps a lot!"

"Ask someone! They've gotta have fennel!"

...while Kelly and Caitlin had gone over to the baking ingredients aisle...

"Which brand of flour should we get?" Caitlin asked. "I never knew there were so many choices!"

"Just get the generic brand! We're on a budget! Besides, there's more important things to talk about."

"Like what?"

"Like Julie!"

Kelly put an arm around Caitlin and guided her away from the flour.

"As 'real' girls, we need to talk about a certain 'faker'..."

_Confessional Cam - Caitlin_

_"Kelly can sweet-talk me all she wants! But win or lose, she's going to Castoff Beach today! Whether she likes it or... hey, is that a 'Kiss the Chef' apron? I so want one of those!"_

But Kelly was not the only one spending the trip trying to change someone's mind about who to put in the last girls' Castoff Beach...

"Oh, come on, Jen! You're going to make me choose between a hottie like Courtney and... you?"

"I'm your sister! There shouldn't **BE** a debate!"

"Does it matter? You could beat Caitlin, Wonder Taco girl, or even Kelly, without breaking a sweat! Why the issue?"

"Because as siblings, you're supposed to have my back! That, and it's us against three 'Total Drama' cast members! If you're not gonna be loyal to your own sister, how about being loyal to your own show? Huh?"

Jonesy froze, that thought having never crossed his mind.

_Confessional Cam - Jonesy_

_"I guess Jen has a point. We should really stick together. Then again... Courtney! How do I turn my back on a babe like that?"_

_Confessional Cam - Jen_

_"I'm not afraid of taking on Kelly. It's just... why should I risk my chance at the final challenge when Courtney's had more chances at it than I have? Besides, Courtney hasn't done a Castoff Beach challenge yet! She should know what it feels like to be on the brink of going home before I believe she deserves to get to the end!"_

Eventually, time had ran out, and both pairs had managed to get all of their ingredients and be under budget. Whether some of their minds had been changed in regards to the upcoming vote would not be known until later on...

* * *

><p>Upon returning, both pairs returned to their teams and sorted their ingredients. Some of them began to make their way to the kitchen when Blaineley entered the room.<p>

"I'd get cooking, and soon!" she warned them. "Your food must be done and plated by the time the judges arrive... at noon!"

Everyone glanced up at the clock. It currently read 10:40.

"You guys forgot the asparagus!" bellowed Courtney.

"What asparagus?" Jen shot back. "It's not on the list!"

"But it's in the recipe, head chef!"

Courtney showed the recipe to Jen to prove she was telling the truth.

"Well, sorry, but it's not like we're going to be able to afford it! We only a few cents short of our budget!"

"If we were that close," Trent wondered out loud, "then how'd Caitlin afford to buy that?"

He directed their attention to Caitlin, who was putting on her new 'Kiss the Chef' apron over her clothes. While she happened to be standing next to Ty. Of course, Kelly had to run in before her boyfriend could see it.

"Hey! I told you that you could buy it as long as you didn't wear it!"

"Well, how am I supposed to get someone to kiss me while I'm cooking? I've been here three weeks and haven't hooked up once!"

Kelly shook her head. "Just... get in the kitchen."

"Yay!" Caitlin clapped with glee.

* * *

><p>But the cast would quickly find out that having ten people in the kitchen at once made it extremely crowded. Not to mention that there was only one oven, one blender, one mixer, two cutting boards, etc.<p>

Geoff had dumped about a cup's worth of macadamia nuts into the blender and was watching them get chopped up. Somewhat.

"C'mon, baby, work with me here!"

Cody, meanwhile, was making his way around the kitchen, searching for something.

"Does anyone know if there's a peeler anywhere?"

He passed by Jonesy, who had filled a pot with cold water and was in the process of moving it onto the stove.

"Now what?" he asked aloud.

"Turn the stove on!" Jen shouted from across the room.

There was a lot of chopping being done as both teams were seen prepping various vegetables. Caitlin, meanwhile, had pulled out one of the items she had bought at the grocery.

"Guys... do we really need the sour cream? I'm trying to watch my figure!"

"Who cares?" Julie told her. "You're not eating it anyway!"

Trent, meanwhile, had a hold of his team's allotment of yellowtail snapper, and was already beginning to season the filets with salt and pepper.

"We can do this, guys!" he encouraged his team. "Let's go!"

* * *

><p>Outside the kitchen, Blaineley smiled as she saw all of them try to keep their wits about them as they scrambled in the packed kitchen.<p>

"It's been awhile since we checked on our teams."

Blaineley stared heading for the kitchen door.

"I'm sure they've got everything under control."

She stuck her head in and shouted...

"Guys, you've got 15 minutes left!"

"**AAAAAAHHHHHHH!**" everyone yelled in response.

"Yep," Blaineley nodded as she pulled back out. "They're good."

* * *

><p>Inside the kitchen...<p>

"How's the pie coming along?" Cody shouted.

"I'll check!" Jen said in reply.

Jen reached for the oven door handle, but before she could pull it, Kelly grabbed her at the wrist, stopping her.

"Don't you dare! You'll ruin my pie!"

"But my pie's in there too, Kelly!"

"Too bad! You'll have to wait until mine's done first!"

On the stove, both Trent and Geoff were in the process of cooking their fish. Trent's was almost done, while Geoff had just started on his.

"That smells good, my man!" Geoff told Trent after smelling his fish.

"Yep," Trent replied. "Good luck beating us, dude!"

"Oh, don't worry! We've got a pretty good dish planned, too!"

Trent suddenly pulled his fish off of the stove, and it was shown that all of the vegetables his team had chopped up were in there too. He ran over to the oven just as Kelly and Jen were checking their pies...

"Keep that door open!"

Jen moved to one side as she pulled out her finished pie as Trent squeezed in to put the fish and the veggies, all having been transferred to a flat pan, and put it where Jen's pie had been.

"Hurry up!" Kelly shouted at them both. "You're ruining my pie!"

Julie had gotten another pot and filled it with water. She was met at the stove by Ty, who had in hand a corn on the cob wrapped in strips of snapper.

"This is gonna be close!" Ty remarked as he dropped it into the pot.

* * *

><p>Outside, in the dining area, three plates for each team had been set up, with silver domes to be used to cover them. Courtney walked in, with a bowl full of mashed potatoes in one hand and a scoop in the other.<p>

"This is crazy!" Courtney complained as Blaineley sat there at the table. "We're not even gonna get time to taste it!"

"What's stopping you from tasting it now, dearie?"

The hostess pointed up to the clock. It was 11:54. Courtney saw this and decided she did have time to taste it.

"Hmmm..." she murmured as she scooped a small portion and put it into her mouth. "Hey! Something's off!"

She ran back into the kitchen, and called over her team, who was busy topping their key lime pie with lime slices and whipped cream.

"Everybody, taste this! There's something missing!"

"How can that be?" Jen asked.

Jonesy tried to scoop up some of with his finger, but Courtney batted him away.

"Eew, gross! Find a spoon or something!"

Cody delivered, locating some silverware. They all tasted it, and...

"Needs salt," Jen quickly discovered. "Someone get the salt!"

Meanwhile, Kelly was finally pulling out her pie from the oven, and it looked a little brown on the edges. Still...

"Perfect!"

She went to find a knife to cut it, but then she noticed the rest of her team gathered around the stove.

"What the... we have to start plating food! Like, now!"

"Not done yet," Geoff shouted, as he was only now flipping his fish over to get the other side.

"Chop chop! Time waits for no one!"

* * *

><p>"<strong>ONE MINUTE!<strong>" yelled Blaineley. "Anything that's not plated doesn't get served!"

The Groms were in panic mode as Kelly was just topping her pie, Ty was chopping the cob of corn wrapped in snapper into three pieces, and Geoff was finishing off the fish.

"Geoff!" Julie shouted. "We need that fish now!"

"One sec!"

The Vets, meanwhile, were wrapping things up. Courtney, Jen, and Jonesy were waiting out in the dining area as Trent came out holding the pan with their roasted fish and vegetables, and Cody followed him out with a pair of tongs. As they reached their plates, Kelly walked in with three slices of pie in a plate.

"Done!" Trent shouted as he and Cody finished plating.

"And with time to spare!" exclaimed Cody.

Caitlin and Julie came racing out, each with a cooked snapper filet on a plate in hand, followed by Ty with the chopped corn cob pieces.

"Geoff!" Kelly shouted.

"Coming!"

Blaineley began counting down...

"The challenge ends in ten, nine, eight..."

_[End Act Two]_

* * *

><p>The Groms were still missing one filet as Blaineley began the final countdown...<p>

"The challenge ends in ten, nine, eight..."

Geoff ran in, the last filet still sitting in the hot pan.

"...seven, six, five..."

Ty used his tongs to pick it up...

"...four..."

...hold it precariously as he turned towards the last plate...

"...three, two..."

...place it down on it without breaking it...

"...one..."

...and Caitlin dropped the dome over top of it.

"**TIME!** Step away from the table!"

The Groms did, all breathing a sigh of relief as they had gotten everything plated in the nick of time.

* * *

><p>"And now it's time for the judging!"<p>

The doors opened, and the cast turned to their right to see who was tasting their food. Their reactions to those entrances were mixed, ranging from elation to disappointment, and from relief to anxiety, as Lindsay, Jude, and Emma walked in.

All three of them took their seats.

"Hi, every-" Lindsay began to greet.

"No opening your mouth unless you're putting food in it!" scolded Blaineley. "That's the rules of your contract!"

Lindsay quickly shut up, not wanting to get in trouble.

"The judging works like this - each person will grade, on a scale of one to five, how much they like each dish. The dishes, of course, are the main dish, the side dish, and the dessert. Team that earns the most points wins the challenge!"

The dishes had been wheeled out during the break in the action, and one of the two sets were now being brought in. Neither team knew which team was going to be judged first. The domed plates were passed out to each member of the panel.

"No reactions from the competitors! Judges, this is dish 'A.'"

The tops were lifted off, and the trio saw that the plates in front of them had a nut-crusted yellowtail snapper, a small corn cob that was wrapped in yellowtail, and a key lime pie.

"What's this?" Emma asked, immediately pointing to the corn. "I've never seen anything like it!"

"Is it supposed to be bacon?" questioned Jude, as he lifted it up. "'Cause if it is, dudes, this thing's a bit undercooked."

Lindsay had put the main snapper dish in her mouth, and she could be heard audibly biting down on it, the crunchiness of it becoming apparent.

"Wow!" she gasped. "It's like eating chocolate! Only with fish! I love it!"

Jude was trying the fish-wrapped corn.

"Dude... this is weird."

Emma decided to move on to dessert, and she started picking at her slice of key lime pie.

"Ummm... not bad."

Kelly began to flash a smile, until...

"But a little... wow, that's sour! Eeeh!"

...which made Kelly's smile flip to a frown.

_Confessional Cam - Kelly_

_"Okay, that was set up! Emma never likes anything I do for her! Ungrateful little..."_

"Okay, judges... here's dish 'B!'"

The first plate had since been taken away, and now the second was being given to the group. The tops were taken off, and before them was roasted snapper with celery, artichokes, fennel, red onions, and potato slices, along with mashed potatoes with melted cheese and slices of snapper mixed in, and their version of a key lime pie.

"Dude," objected Jude, "veggies? Really?"

Lindsay scooped up a bit of the mashed potatoes and put it into her mouth. She smiled in delight.

"Wow! These are the best smashed potatoes ever!"

She then made a weird face, before reaching into her mouth and spitting some of it back out, to the dismay of the Vets.

"It was... until that! Yuck! That piece of fish was, like, way undercooked!"

Emma had no real reaction to the roasted snapper, as she was already reaching for dessert. She put it in her mouth...

"Hmmm..."

Jen waited to see what Emma's reaction would be.

"I liked that one a lot more than the first one. Not as sour, and I could taste the whipped cream a bit more."

Jen breathed a sigh of relief.

* * *

><p>Once they had finished, everyone was escorted out while the judges filled out their scorecards. Once they had done that and turned in their cards, they got up and left, as their small contracts stated that they were not to be around to hear the results.<p>

The competitors were told thusly upon reentering, and Blaineley was handed a small envelope which had the final scores in it.

"Alright, time to find out who's food was the best of the best!"

She opened it, and then said...

"Wow... given their complaints, the judges were more generous than I thought they'd be. Course 'A,' which was the food made by the Groms, received, out of a possible 45 points... a score of 35!"

The Groms clapped happily, pleased with their score but not completely satisfied with it.

"Now, Course 'B,' which was the food made by the Vets, received..."

The Vets held their breath, not sure what to expect.

"...a score of 37. That means the Vets win!"

[Team Vets $175,000 - Team Groms $100,000]

The Vets cheered jubilantly, while the Groms were left to wonder how they lost yet another challenge.

* * *

><p>After a brief lunch break, the teams began the bus ride to Castoff Beach. The Vets had to decide who was going to compete in it.<p>

"Any other nominations?" Courtney asked.

She looked at her teammates and saw no one moving to do so.

"Okay then! As expected, we're throwing Kelly in. Now, as for us... I nominate Jen!"

Jen gasped, even though it wasn't a surprise.

"Fine! Then I nominate Courtney!"

Trent moved over to Jen's side. "And I second that nomination!"

"What?"

Cody hastily picked a side as well. Courtney's.

"I n-n-nominate Courtney's nomination of Jen!"

"Cody! I thought you were on my side!"

"Sorry, Jen... but you don't know Courtney like I do! And I'm afraid what she'll do to me if I side with you!"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Courtney growled, unhappy with what Cody was insinuating.

That left Jonesy to make the deciding vote.

"Um..."

"**JONESY!**" both girls yelled.

Jonesy looked confused, as well as hesitant, to make a choice. Both girls had to figure out how to win him over.

"Side with me!" Jen spoke up first. "I'm your sister! We should be sticking together."

Jonesy nodded in agreement, but he did want to hear Courtney's plea.

"Um... um..."

Seeing the hesitation, Jonesy got up and took a step towards Jen...

"Jonesy!" Courtney shouted. "Side with me, and I'll go out with you! Tonight!"

"**SOLD!**"

"**JONESY!**"

"Sorry, Jen," Jonesy said as he joined Courtney and Cody on their side of the aisle. "Courtney just wanted it more."

Jen growled in anger.

_Confessional Cam - Jen_

_"It's always Courtney, Courtney, **COURTNEY! AAAAAHHHHHHH!**"_

* * *

><p>[Castoff Beach]<p>

"Ha ha ha ha ha ha!"

Blaineley could barely keep herself upright as she laughed after hearing how the Vets decided upon Jen.

"Are you done yet?" Jen asked, still unhappy about her situation.

"Yeah, yeah," Blaineley smiled as she tried to regain her composure. "Just... just spin the wheel!"

Jen rolled her eyes, then walked over to the wheel and spun it. They all watched as it would end up stopping on 'Remember the Sequence.'

"No matter," Jen told herself aloud. "I'll win this, and compete in the final challenge!"

"We'll see about that," Kelly responded. "Especially since I plan on winning!"

* * *

><p>[Remember the Sequence]<p>

Jen and Kelly got into position, and Jen had decided that she would go first.

"Very well!" Blaineley said. "Good luck, girls!"

The game began, with Jen seeing the white circle light up. She pressed it immediately.

"Ha! Easy!"

It was now Kelly's turn. She got the white circle, and then the white circle again.

"Please! You can do better than that!"

Kelly pressed the white circle twice. Back to Jen, who got two white lights, then the red. She repeated the sequence without any trouble.

"I bet this goes about a dozen rounds or so," guessed Julie.

* * *

><p>45 rounds later...<p>

The action was rejoined mid-sequence, as Kelly was seen pushing blue, white, black, black, red, yellow, black, red, yellow, black, red, white, red, red, blue, yellow, and then... and then...

She had stopped, seemingly to have forgotten the very last button in the sequence. Jen looked as if she was ready to celebrate winning on Castoff Beach for the third time. And then, at the last moment, Kelly pressed the white button.

"Ha!" Kelly exclaimed. "Back to you, Jen!"

Blaineley groaned. "Ugh! Come on! I didn't even know the computer had that much memory, much less you two!"

Jen ignored the hostess because she was watching the computer play out the pattern again, finally ending with the four dozenth plus one flash, which was black. Jen took a deep breath, the began pressing the buttons in sequence. First came white, white, and red, then yellow, blue, black, blue, black, red, white, blue, blue, blue, red, red, yellow, black, black, white, yellow, blue, red, yellow, blue, red, white, white, yellow, black, blue, red, blue, white, black, black, red, yellow, black, red, yellow, black, red, yellow...

The buzzer went off, to Jen's surprise.

"No, wait! Do over!"

"You know the rules," Blaineley reminded her. "One buzz and that's it. Jen, the game's over for you!"

"Yes!" Kelly raised her arms triumphantly. "Final challenge, here I come!"

Kelly started dancing on her platform as Jen got off, a bit upset as she was guided towards the raft.

"Looks like the third time was one time too many for poor old Jen!" commented Blaineley. "She's the last girl out, meaning Caitlin, Courtney, Julie, and Kelly, are guaranteed to compete in the final challenge!"

"This isn't fair!" screamed Jen. "It's Jonesy's fault I lost!"

"What?" Jonesy argued. "But I'm not the one who slipped up!"

Jen took a seat on the raft and was pushed out to sea.

"If I ever find a way back to shore, I'll get you back, Jonesy! You and Courtney! You'll both pay!"

Jonesy gulped in fear, but Courtney put a reassuring hand on his shoulder to calm him down.

"Oh, don't worry about Jen. I'm sure this'll all blow over. Besides, we don't need two alpha girls on this team. Right?"

"Well, I guess..."

"Good. Now, about our date..."

"Huh? You mean you actually weren't kidding about that?"

"Oh, ho ho! Why would I ever lie about that? You **ARE** the reason I'm still here after all, and, a promise is a promise!"

_Confessional Cam - Jonesy_

_"I get to go out with Courtney, Jen will ultimately forgive me! I couldn't think of a better outcome! Well, at the moment, anyway."_

"So..."

Kelly squeezed herself in between Caitlin and Julie, who both were now scared that Kelly had survived elimination a third and final time.

"Since we're now stuck with each other until the end, we're going to work together to win that final challenge. Because guess what happens if we don't, huh?"

Caitlin and Julie gulped.

* * *

><p>"Just one more elimination to go before the finale!" Blaineley announced later, after the other contestants had left.<p>

Enter a quick glance at the five remaining guys: Cody, Geoff, Jonesy, Trent, and Ty.

"Who will be the bubble boy and come up just short of competing in the final challenge? Find out on the next 'Fresh Challenge: Vets vs. Groms!'"

**End Episode Eleven**

**Author's Notes:**  
>Jen shockingly is the last female to be eliminated before the final challenge, leaving Courtney as the only gal on Team Vets. Can she handled being outnumbered three-to-one by Caitlin, Julie, and Kelly?<p>

One last person has to depart before the finale. Which guys will make it? Voice your predictions, then find out if you're right next week!

**Next up:** Episode 12 - Next Thursday, August 25th, 7 pm EST!


	12. Drop It If It Hurts

**"Fresh Challenge: Vets vs. Groms"**  
><strong>Story Written by Freedom Fighter<strong>

One more elimination before the finale. Which guy is going to get the boot? Will it be someone you expect? Let's find out!

**Disclaimer:** All characters are the property of Fresh TV, Inc.

* * *

><p><em>20 teens, 3 weeks, $300,000 on the line<em>  
><em>And only one team to split the prize<em>

_[Blaineley]_  
><em>This is 'Fresh Challenge: Vets vs. Groms!'<em>

**-**  
><strong>Fresh Challenge: Vets vs. Groms<br>Episode Twelve - Drop It If It Hurts (08.26.11)**  
><strong>-<strong>

That evening, Trent and Cody were in the first-floor bedroom, discussing strategy.

_Confessional Cam - Cody_

_"Jen's gone, and now I'm wishing I hadn't voted her into the challenge. Jen was the only person left on my team that really believed in me. Now, I'm left to fend for myself! Unless..."_

"So, what do you wanna talk about?" Trent asked.

"Well, it's about Jonesy..." Cody began.

"Did someone say my name?" queried Jonesy as he walked into the room, his hair combed over and held in place thanks to some hair gel.

"Nothing, nothing..."

"I don't care," Jonesy ignored Cody's babbling, "because I have a date with the curvaceous Courtney! Rawr!"

Trent smiled. "I'm surprised it got this far, considering how many times she's tried to neuter you. Literally."

"She played hard to get, yes, but I knew with time that there was no way she could resist the Jonesmeister forever!"

He then playfully elbowed Cody in the arm.

"Maybe you should come along, Cody, eh? Learn some dating tips from the master so you can swoon that girl of yours?"

"Thanks, but I'll pass," Cody politely declined.

"Suit yourself! Oh, and if you guys hear noises when we get back later, that'll be the sound of me and Courtney smacking lips."

Jonesy walked back into the lobby, going to call Courtney down. But he was stopped by Caitlin.

"Wait! Close your eyes!"

Jonesy listened to her, but still wanted to ask. "Why?"

"Give it a few seconds."

Caitlin waited until Courtney had started to gracefully make her way down the steps, and then...

"Okay, Jonesy... **TA-DA!**"

Jonesy opened his eyes, and his jaw nearly dropped to floor as he saw Courtney, stunning dressed in a purple ball gown. A ball gown that looked awfully familiar...

_Confessional Cam - Courtney_

_"As far as you know, I **BOUGHT** this dress! This **ISN'T** the same one I wore for that princess challenge and took home with me after the show. **GOT IT?**"_

"**BOING!**" Jonesy exclaimed. "Courtney... you look... **AMAZING!**"

"I wish I could say the same about you," Courtney said apprehensively as she noted Jonesy had just put on his regular clothes.

"You two have fun!" Caitlin wished them off as she opened the door.

Jonesy smiled goofily as he exited first, followed by Courtney.

"So," Courtney wondered once they were outside, "where are we going? Some place nice, I take it?"

* * *

><p>Ten minutes later, Courtney was scowling as she sat at a table inside a fast food restaurant. Jonesy joined her a few seconds later with a tray of food on it.<p>

"What is that on your head?"

She was referred to the paper king's crown sitting atop Jonesy's head.

"This? Well, if you get to wear a crown, so do I!"

"It's a tiara, first of all! And second, take that off! You look stupid!"

"Mommy, look at her!" a seven-year old girl shouted from a nearby table. "It's a real-life princess!"

"Hmmm..." Courtney heard the girl's mother said in reply. "She must be from a poor country if she has to eat here."

Courtney buried her face in her hands in embarrassment.

* * *

><p>Half an hour later, after the restaurant had emptied out except for its employees, Courtney was finally beginning to relax and enjoy Jonesy's company, even though they had both finished their meals awhile ago.<p>

"Okay," laughed Courtney, "seriously, it's not **NORMAL** for someone to have that many jobs over the course of their entire lives! And you're just 16!"

"What can I say," shrugged Jonesy. "I like to dabble in everything."

"What you need is someone that can keep your head straight. Someone that's goal-oriented. Someone who's self-conscious of her image. Someone..."

"Someone like you?" suggested Jonesy, arcing his eyebrows with interest.

"I was actually referring to **YOUR** girlfriend. You know, what's-her-face..."

"Who? Nikki? That's kinda hard to do, seeing as she now lives in Nunavut."

"Wow," gasped Courtney in genuine shock. "So you two are in a long-distance relationship then? That must be rough."

"I guess."

That response did not sit well with Courtney. "What do you mean, 'I guess?'"

"Nothing. Just... we haven't talked in a couple months, and..."

"And that gives you a free pass to start flirting with other girls?"

"Well..."

"Eh..." Courtney shrugged. "Whatever."

"So that means you don't hate me?"

"Let's just say that I feel better about our team's chances if you're still around. For the moment, anyway."

"Good enough for me!"

Jonesy switched seats so that he was now sitting next to Courtney. He then pretended to stretch his arms so he could reach over and wrap his arm around her. Courtney promptly got out of her seat, so when he leaned over... he fell onto the floor.

"Yes! You didn't hit me! Makin' progress!"

_Confessional Cam - Courtney_

_"As rough around the edges as Jonesy is, in pretty much everything... he's manageable. I guess he's not all that bad..."_

_Confessional Cam - Jonesy_

_"**WOOHOO!** I'm out of the batter's box! Soon I'll get to first base, then second, then third..."_

* * *

><p>The next day, Ty spotted Geoff, Caitlin, and Julie chatting in the backyard. He did not need to eavesdrop to figure out what they were talking about. He already knew what was coming...<p>

_Confessional Cam - Ty_

_"So, no surprise, Geoff and the girls are planning to throw me into Castoff Beach. As are the Vets. I kinda expected it, seeing as everyone's trying to take Kelly down a peg by taking me out. I guess I should be mad, but... why fight it? The only thing I can control is what I do on Castoff Beach. I do what I need to do, and I'm safe. End of the day, I still control my fate."_

Still, later that afternoon, Ty had pulled Geoff aside and they got to talking about the plan.

"So it's going to be me no matter what?"

"Sorry, bro. It looks that way. You're not mad?"

Ty shook his head. "I just see it as another opportunity to prove I belong here. Like last time."

"Man, you're as cool as a cucumber. Respect, bro!"

The two fist-bumped.

"If we win," Geoff told Ty, "we're setting you up against Jonesy. You can take him, right?"

"Without a doubt! Then we'll be two up for the final challenge."

"Exactly. Take care of business, and we'll all be winners, dude!"

If Ty was worried at all, he was not showing it on his face as Geoff got up and walked away.

_[End Act One]_

* * *

><p>The day of the final challenge was fast approaching. Only eight competitors would compete in it, but there were still nine in the game. Before that final elimination, the two teams would have to take a 30-mile boat ride west from Key West, to the Marquesas Keys, for the 12th challenge of the competition.<p>

They met up with Blaineley on the beach, and they instantly knew what they were doing today when they saw her decked out in camouflage gear from the neck down, and she had a paintball mask cradled under her right armpit and a paintball gun in her left hand. Immediately, Caitlin, Kelly, and Cody all raised their hands to voice concerns.

"I don't care what you're excuses are," Blaineley said without hearing them out. "We're doing paintball, and that's final!"

_Confessional Cam - Cody_

_"Why **NOW**, of all times? The last time there was a paintball challenge, I ended up mauled by a bear! That's something I'd rather not relive, thank you very much!"_

"You don't think there are bears around here, do you?" Cody worriedly asked Trent.

"I don't... think so."

"Today's challenge is called Paintball War!" Blaineley announced. "One goal... take out the opposing team before they take you out!"

Everyone gulped in fear as they could already predict the painful sensation of getting pelted with paintballs in their future.

"The rules are simple... take one hit, and you're out. Even if you're shot by your own teammate. And, trust me, I'm certain that's going to happen."

"What's **THAT** supposed to mean?" questioned Geoff suspiciously.

"Each player will be given a mask to protect their face. This **MUST** be kept on from the start of the game until the final whistle, even if you're eliminated beforehand! Violating this rule results in **IMMEDIATE DISQUALIFICATION AND FORFEIT FOR THAT PLAYER'S ENTIRE TEAM**!"

She tossed the mask at Jonesy, who caught it right in the chest.

"You may use any part of the beach or up to five feet out from the shore and into the lagoon to do battle. Please note, the mangrove areas to the north and east of us are considered part of the local wildlife refuge, and are completely off-limits! Violating this rule results in immediate disqualification of the violators! Got it?"

They all nodded in understanding.

"You can use anything on the beach as cover... either the dozen or so abandoned boats, or the small number of inflatable bunkers we've placed along the beach. Other than that... that's all I need to explain."

"Blaineley," Caitlin, Kelly, and Julie all raised their hands at once. "I wanna sit out this challenge!"

The girls then looked at each other, and then shouted.

"I wanna sit out! You two do it! I don't wanna! Paintballs hurt!"

"You know what," Blaineley interrupted, shaking her head. "we don't have time to deal with this. I'm relieving your team's right to sit somebody out. You're all participating."

"**WHAT?**" the three yelled in disgust.

"Hold on!" Trent voiced an objection from the other side. "But that gives them a man advantage!"

"Yeah!" added Jonesy. "That's not fair!"

"Fine," Blaineley conceded as she walked over to the Vets. "You only have to hit four of their five members, okay?"

"That's good enough for me," Courtney replied.

"Good. Get suited up and go to your respective sides of the beach."

They started walking off, but then...

"Oh, and strip down to trunks and bathing suits, people!"

"**WHAT?**" everyone freaked out.

_Confessional Cam - Courtney_

_"Odds of me filing a lawsuit against Blaineley after all this is over? One hundred percent... and rising!"_

_Confessional Cam - Ty_

_"I have a feeling that this challenge... is going to hurt."_

* * *

><p>[Challenge 12: Paintball War]<p>

The Vets were positioned on the west end of the beach, while the Groms were starting from the east end, just feet away from the off-limits mangrove area. The Vets had already split into pairs, with Trent and Cody forming one, and Courtney and Jonesy the other.

"Ready?" Courtney asked Jonesy.

But all Jonesy could do was stare at Courtney and her gray two-piece.

"I'll go wherever you go, babe," he managed to utter.

Courtney rolled her eyes. "Well, at least he'll be following me."

Meanwhile, Julie had already put on her mask, and Kelly seemed to take joy in seeing her do so.

"I have to say," Kelly commented, "that's a definite improvement."

Julie crossed her arms over her chest, obviously not pleased with her teammate's backhanded observation.

* * *

><p>Once all of the gear was on, Blaineley, wearing a mask along with being fully-clothed, pulled out a flare gun to use to signal the start of the challenge.<p>

"Mmmfff mmmfff ffffuuuu!"

"Psst," someone whispered off-screen. "Turn your mike on!"

Blaineley stuck her right hand up into her mask to search for the on-off switch. After a few seconds.

"Better?"

The cameraman gave her a thumbs up.

"Okay! Let the war... begin!"

She raised her flare gun in the air and fired off one round. Seconds later, they heard a bird screech in pain, followed by it landing on the ground, in-between Blaineley and the cameraman. The hostess turned her head to camera and calmly said...

"So... you didn't see that, right?"

The camera shook left and right, indicating the person holding it was shaking his head no.

"Good. Neither did I."

* * *

><p>The Vets quickly moved from their base and into the field of play. Trent and Cody stayed neared the shoreline, while Courtney and Jonesy moved further inland. On the other side, the Groms were a bit more disorganized. Ty and Kelly were together, naturally, but Geoff, Julie, and Caitlin were each pretty much acting on their own. The Groms scattered in different directions, with Geoff going the most forward towards the Vets' side.<p>

_Confessional Cam - Geoff_

_"So basically, our strategy is to spread out and ambush Courtney and the guys. We'll hit them so fast, they won't know what hit him."_

Geoff moved closer to the center of the field, near where Blaineley was standing. All of a sudden, he came under fire from his left as blue paintballs started landing near him. He saw Trent had come out from behind a small boat and he was firing on him.

Geoff quickly ran inland, and the second he did, Trent stopped shooting at him. But it was a few seconds before Geoff had realized this. Only then did he come to a stop.

"Whew!" he said as he ran the back of his hand over where his forehead was. "That was close."

Then, without warning, he was hit by two paintballs simultaneously - one in the chest, the other in his abs. He fell to the ground immediately, clutching both in pain as he screamed in agony.

"**AAAAAHHHHH!**"

Courtney and Jonesy stuck their heads up from behind a nearby bunker about 20 feet away, and high-fived each other.

"You're not half-bad," Jonesy told Courtney.

"Neither are you," Courtney said to Jonesy in return.

* * *

><p>Ty and Kelly had found their own boat to hide behind, with Ty having turned it upside down so he could get a better view. He then spotted Geoff rolling in the sand in pain.<p>

"Man, I think they already got Geoff!"

"Figures," grumbled Kelly. "We're the only competent ones around here."

Ty scanned the field, searching for where the Vets were hiding. But while doing so, he didn't notice his girlfriend crawl away from the boat on her hands and knees and towards inland.

* * *

><p>Trent peeked around the side of the boat, to see if any of the Groms were heading towards them. Even though he saw no movement, he decided to time was not right to move, so he pulled his head back in.<p>

"Gotta be careful," he told Cody, who was next to him. "Don't want to do something stupid."

"Speaking of not doing something stupid," Cody brought up, "we're in agreement that if we win the challenge, we're both voting Jonesy in, right?"

"Yep."

"'Cause, you know, we're friends... and friends stick together and vote the same way, right?"

"I know, Cody!"

_Confessional Cam - Cody_

_"I know I'm the only weak link on our team is me, and Courtney's surely gonna want to get rid of me! Trent and I have to vote for Jonesy. My only hope is forcing a tiebreaker vote, one that Blaineley might have to break. Wait... my best hope may be relying on **HER**? Wow... maybe we should let the Groms win. I know they'd rather have Jonesy go before me!"_

* * *

><p>Kelly had crawled her way over to Caitlin, who was shaking in fright as she hid behind a rectangular bunker, with her back turned towards the opposition.<p>

"What are you doing?" Kelly asked, demanding an answer.

"I can't do this!" Caitlin replied. "It's... it's gonna hurt so much!"

"What are you, five? Stop being such a baby!"

Kelly then peeked over the top of the bunker. When she did not see anyone on the other team...

"Go! I'll cover you!"

"But..."

"**GO!**"

Caitlin nodded, took a glance around the corner, then made a break for the next bunker, a spherical one ahead 10 feet and 20 feet to her right. True to her word, Kelly was scanning the field with her gun out, trying to see if anyone would take a shot at Caitlin. But the blonde made it to her destination without being fired upon once.

"Lucky..."

Kelly got down and was about to follow Caitlin, but then she heard shots being fired. That forced her to stay put for the moment...

* * *

><p>It turned out that the shots were coming from Courtney, but she was firing at someone much closer to her, as she hid behind a bumper shaped like a pyramid. Immediately, whomever she had been targeting started firing back. Courtney heard paintballs hit the ground near her, but none close enough for her to see evidence of.<p>

She did see Jonesy, though, who was hiding behind another small boat that had been turned upside down on the beach. He held up one finger in Courtney's direction, indicating it was only one enemy. Courtney nodded, then made a gesture to signal she was about to move forward.

Courtney went charging towards the next bunker, and Jonesy moved to, to take up the spot where Courtney had just been. But as he moved, he heard shots being fired from at least two different guns.

"I gotcha, Court!" Jonesy shouted.

He kept running past the bunker, intending to protect his new love interest. He fired at the first person he saw, and she screamed in pain.

"**AAAAAHHHH!**"

Unfortunately, he had shot Courtney. In the butt.

And then to make matters worse, he was then shot with four successive balls, all of which either hit his right arm, the right side of his body, or his gun.

"**OW, OW, OW, OWWWWW!**"

Jonesy went down to the ground, just managing to catch the skinny bare leg of the shooter before he or she disappeared from sight. As he writhed in pain, Courtney walked over, very angry with him.

"I'm on **YOUR** team, **NITWIT!**"

She then winced as she felt the welt on her butt cheek and just below it swell up. Angry at Jonesy's accidental betrayal, she took her gun and fired one shot... at Jonesy's nuts.

"**AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!**"

"And to think, I was starting to **LIKE** you!"

With that, Courtney stomped off, while Jonesy grabbed his neither regions and bit his lip in pain.

_Confessional Cam - Caitlin_

_"Of all the ways to get dumped... wow. No tub of ice cream's gonna heal **THAT** kind of wound."_

_[End Act Two]_

* * *

><p>More shots were being fired from several locations as the battle continued. Trent and Cody were still working together, and they had managed to lure Ty into a trap. They began firing on him from two different locations, and he had difficulty discerning where their shots were coming from.<p>

"Oh, man! I'm pinned down here!"

Ty did not know where any of the girls on his team were. If he did not get help from any of them soon...

He had to go on the offensive. He peeked out from the left side of his hiding spot... and was promptly greeted with a shot in the face. Luckily, his mask and goggles kept any part of his face from taking a serious blow. Still, he was now out.

"I got him? **I GOT HIM!**"

That excited realization had come from Cody, who stood up and raised his arms in triumph.

"**YES!**"

He then heard someone firing at him. He sidestepped to his right and just missed being hit in the left ankle by a paintball. He hastily retreated back behind his bunker. But Cody was not the only Vet being shot at, as Trent had been forced out of his hiding spot and was trying to outrun Kelly, whose shots were a step or two behind him.

But Trent managed to reach the next bunker, a large rectangular one, without getting hit. He bended over to catch his breath, but then nearly did a double-take when he saw Caitlin standing there, looking like a deer caught in the headlights herself, as her gun was down by her side.

"Caitlin? Aw, man... of all the times. Ugh... well, go ahead."

Caitlin snapped back to reality, then raised her gun to fire a shot at Trent to eliminate him from the challenge...

But then she had a change of heart, as she lowered her gun back down.

"I can't shoot you! If anything, you should've shot me while I had my guard down."

"I was going to, but... I can't shoot you, either! I couldn't bare to hurt someone as cute as you."

Caitlin gasped, then let go of her gun, letting it drop to the ground.

"You... you think I'm cute?"

Trent squatted down, placed his gun down, then stood back up and started walking towards Caitlin. She, in turn, moved towards him. They continued until they were only an arm's length apart, at which point they reached out with their arms and interlocked hands. Trent pulled Caitlin closer and then he looked down into her eyes. Well, as best as he could considering they both had their masks on and the goggles made it hard to discern where her eyes actually were.

And then Trent felt himself get hit in the right side of his stomach with a red paintball... some of the paint which also splashed onto Caitlin's bikini top.

"Gotcha!" Kelly exclaimed.

Trent let go of Caitlin and turned to walk away. Caitlin turned to glare at Kelly, who picked Caitlin's paintball gun off of the ground with the intention of giving it back to her.

"What was **THAT**?" an irate Caitlin asked.

"What were you doing?" Kelly asked in return, angry herself. "You let him trick you into letting your guard down?"

"We were just..."

"Never mind," Kelly cut her off as she thrust Caitlin's gun into her arms. "The good news, the Vets should only have one person left."

"Well, find him yourself! Because I **QUIT**!"

With that, Caitlin tossed her gun aside and walked off in the opposite direction.

"**HEY!**" Kelly yelled at her. "This challenge isn't over!"

She did an about face to chase after her teammate, but she would never get to Caitlin, as Kelly was blindsided with a shot that hit her in the back.

"**EEK!**" she squealed.

"Ding dong, **THE WITCH IS DEAD!**"

She turned back around and saw Cody doing a celebratory dance. Kelly reached for her back and felt the blue paint on it, then growled in frustration.

"I was taken out by **THAT** loser? **CAITLIN**, get back here and take him **OUT**!"

But while Caitlin was refusing to cooperate, someone else was willing to take up charge, as Cody was bombarded with a number of shots. But again, he managed to duck back down and out of harm's way in the nick of time, even as his hiding spot was pelted with red paint.

"Who is **DOING** that?" Cody asked aloud.

Cody tried to figure out who was harassing him. Luckily, Kelly's big mouth helped him solve that quandary quickly.

"**JULIE!** Take the geek out, and I'll let you choose which one of them to put in the elimination challenge!"

Julie popped up from her hiding place, behind a boat on the beach, and shouted back a response.

"**WILL YOU BE QUIET? YOU'LL GIVE ME AWAY!**"

**SPLAT!**

Julie was clocked with a shot to the side of her head, which knocked her frail body to the sand instantly. The second she hit the ground, a whistle was heard blowing. Blaineley came running in.

"That's four! I don't know how he did it, but Cody, you've given the Vets their **EIGHTH** challenge victory!"

[Team Vets $200,000 - Team Groms $100,000]

Cody dropped his paintball gun on the ground, then started up another celebratory dance... this time, doing the Dougie.

"Aw, yeah, I'm the man! I'm the man!"

* * *

><p>Back on the mainland, so to speak, and on the bus to Castoff Beach...<p>

"That was incredible!"

Cody smiled as Courtney was giving him a rare compliment.

"At least **SOMEBODY** on this team knows to shoot the **OTHER TEAM**!"

"I said I'm sorry," squeaked Jonesy, who sat in his seat with a sizable bag of ice in his lap.

Courtney then let out a yelp, as she felt the pain in her lower cheek and upper leg after accidentally pushing down on that area in her seat.

"So, which one of us is going to take on Ty?" Trent asked. "I mean, no one has any objections to picking him first off, right?"

"Nope," replied Courtney. "Getting rid of Ty is the **ONLY** way to deal a serious blow to Kelly's psyche before the final challenge."

"Good. Then let's decide then."

They decided to vote via secret ballot. As the only girl on the team, it fell to Courtney to count out the votes.

"Trent. Jonesy. Trent. And..."

She pulled the last vote out of the baseball cap she had been given, and read the name of it...

"Trent."

Trent seemed a little surprised. Cody quickly fessed up to changing his mind at the last second.

"Sorry, Trent... but the truth is, I think you're more well-rounded. You'll stand a better chance of beating Ty then Jonesy will if you end up in one of the non-physical challenges."

"Oh, come on!" grumbled Jonesy. "I can out-think surfer boy as easy as one, two... uh, uh... four!"

"Not to mention Jonesy's not at a 100 percent, physically," added Courtney.

"Wasn't that **YOUR** fault?"

"Details, details, Jonesy. Besides, that means you're in the final challenge no matter what! You should be happy!"

"Well..."

"And Trent will be too. He'll take out Ty, and then the final challenge will be four-on-four! We've got this competition in the bag!"

Hearing Courtney boast was like a shot of confidence to Trent.

"Alright, then... let's do this!"

* * *

><p>[Castoff Beach]<p>

"Last elimination before the final challenge!" Blaineley reminded them once more. "Courtney, which member of Team Groms is your team sending to Castoff Beach and why?"

"Well, Blaineley, if you must know... we've chosen Ty. And we picked Ty because we think our team's chances of winning are better if Ty goes rather than Geoff going.

Ty nodded as he stepped forward.

"And who are the Vets sending in to try and eliminate Ty?"

"We decided on... Trent."

Trent stepped out of line and joined Ty.

"Trent? Why, Courtney?"

"Out of the guys on our team, we think Trent is the best equipped to take Ty out."

"Very well. Ty and Trent, one of you won't be competing in the final challenge. Trent, come on up and spin the wheel!"

Trent did so, and then he turned to shake hands with Ty as they waited for the wheel to stop.

"Good luck, man."

"You too."

The two boys watched as the wheel came to a stop on 'Hang for Your Life.'

* * *

><p>[Hang for Your Life]<p>

Both Trent and Ty were on their respective platforms, waiting for the signal to go as their teammates cheered them on.

"The first two attempts at this **SUCKED**!" recalled Blaineley. "You two better give us a good show!"

She blew hard on her whistle, and the challenge began. Both boys grabbed the closest ring and swung out on the course.

"Take him down, Ty!" screamed Kelly.

"It's all you, Trent!" shouted Cody. "Go for it!"

It was a little gusty, but so far, both Trent and Ty were taking care to securing their grips on each new ring they got to before moving on to the next one. They were slowly, but surely, moving on a collision course towards each other, to meet near the center.

"You can do it, man!" cheered on Geoff.

"Show him who's boss!" bellowed Jonesy.

Finally, they met, and both lifted up their legs and tried to wrap them around their opponent's body. After a couple of misfires and one wild miss, someone succeeded in doing so. It was Ty.

"Get him!" barked Julie.

Trent tried to wrestle free as Ty grabbed Trent's right arm with his left hand, trying to loosen his grip. Ty also tried to pull off Trent using his legs to push Trent's body downward.

"Now **THIS** is what I was expecting to see!" remarked Blaineley as she watched the struggle continue.

Beginning to feel as if he was losing the battle, Trent let go of the ring his left hand was holding and brought it towards him to try and swat Ty's hand away so he could reinforce his own grip on the other ring. But he was not moving fast enough, as his fingers were starting to slip.

Ty then made one last thrust downward with his legs, and that was enough. The last of Trent's fingers slipped from the ring, and he went plummeting into the water below, with Ty spreading his legs just in time to avoid being pulling down with him.

"And there you have it!" announced Blaineley. "Trent's been eliminated!"

Ty pumped his fist in exuberance, then released his grip and fell into the ocean, angling away from where Trent had splashed down.

* * *

><p>Once back on land, Trent was seen congratulating Ty for his victory by hugging him and giving him a pat on the back.<p>

"Gonna miss you, man," Ty said with genuine remorse.

"Okay, Trent," interrupted Blaineley. "You know the deal. Raft of Exile... or whatever we're calling it."

Cody, Jonesy, and Courtney walked over to give Trent one final hug goodbye.

"Sorry I let you down, guys," he told them.

"Don't worry," Jonesy assured him. "We'll take those Groms down for you. You just watch!"

"We'll see you soon," Cody told him.

"I hope so," Trent said, unsure of his immediate future.

Trent began the walk to the raft, waving farewell to the remaining competitors on both teams. But just as he reached the raft and was about to climb on, Caitlin suddenly ran over.

"**WAIT!**"

The interns stopped and allowed Caitlin through. She had a small piece of paper in hand, which was folded up once, and handed it to Trent. He took it and opened it... it was her cell phone number.

"Call me!" she exclaimed as the interns stepped past her and pushed Trent's raft out to sea.

_Confessional Cam - Trent_

_"Man, am I gonna miss a lot of people there. I just wish I had more time to get to know some of them. Like Caitlin."_

Trent was about a quarter-mile out from shore when he came to a sudden realization.

"**HEY!**" he yelled. "**IS THERE CELL PHONE RECEPTION IN THE GULF?**"

* * *

><p>"And so there were eight!" Blaineley said as she stood with the remaining competitors on either side. "Team Vets won twice as many challenges as their opponents, yet only Cody, Courtney, and Jonesy are still here to compete in the final one! Despite being the underdogs, Team Groms will bring five to the finals: Caitlin, Geoff, Julie, Kelly, and Ty!"<p>

She then began walking away from the two teams.

"What surprises do I have in store for them in the biggest, longest, most drama-filled challenge yet? Come back next time to see which team comes out triumphant on the finale of 'Fresh Challenge: Vets vs. Groms!'"

**End Episode Twelve**

**Author's Notes:**  
>Trent is the 12th person eliminated, which leaves us with eight people - three Vets and five Groms - to compete in the final challenge! Which team will put it altogether and win the grand prize? There's only one way to find out...<p>

**Next up:** Episode 13 (Finale) - Next Thursday, September 1st, 7 pm EST!


	13. The Final Gauntlet

**"Fresh Challenge: Vets vs. Groms"**  
><strong>Story Written by Freedom Fighter<strong>

The moment you've all been waiting for! Which team wins?

**Disclaimer**: All characters are the property of Fresh TV, Inc.

* * *

><p><em>20 teens, 3 weeks, $300,000 on the line<em>  
><em>And only one team to split the prize<em>

_[Blaineley]_  
><em>This is 'Fresh Challenge: Vets vs. Groms!'<em>

**-**  
><strong>Fresh Challenge: Vets vs. Groms<br>Episode Thirteen - The Final Gauntlet (09.01.11)**  
><strong>-<strong>

That night, at the house, the eight finalists celebrated making it to the end of the competition by having... you guessed it, a party.

"**WE MADE IT TO THE END, BABY!**" Geoff yelled.

"I can't believe it!" Cody exclaimed, before pinching himself. "**OW!** Wait, I'm still here? That means this **ISN'T** a dream!"

"Of course it isn't," Julie commented. "Everyone still has their clothes on."

"Well," Jonesy said with a smirk. "Everybody strip to their skivvies! Courtney, you first!"

Luckily, Courtney had no intention of fulfilling Jonesy's request... because she was not even in the kitchen like everyone else was to begin with.

"Say... where is she, anyway?"

"She said she wasn't feeling well," replied Caitlin. "She was sick to her stomach... or something..."

"Oh well," shrugged Jonesy. "Moving on... Kelly, strip!"

"**WHAT?**" screamed Kelly.

"**HEY!**" objected Ty.

Jonesy put an arm around Ty.

"Oh, come on! We all know the **ONLY** reason you're with Kelly is because of her bod."

"That's not true!"

"'Cause I'm pretty sure her 'glowing' personality isn't the reason."

Kelly slammed her glass down on the table and glared at Jonesy.

"You better watch what you say, Garcia! Or else!"

"Ha! You don't scare me!"

Kelly reached over the counter, grabbed Jonesy's shirt, and pulled him down so that she could look straight into each other's eyes.

"How 'bout now?"

Ty put a hand on his girlfriend's shoulder.

"Let him go, Kel."

Kelly quickly obeyed her boyfriend's order, and loosened her grip on Jonesy's shirt.

"Excuse us for a minute," Ty said as he grabbed Kelly by the arm and pulled her away from the group.

As they walked away...

"What was that about?" Cody asked Jonesy. "You trying to get Kelly to hate us now?"

"You really should be more careful, Jonesy," advised Caitlin. "Cody's right... you never want to get a girl angry at you. The results could be catastrophic!"

"Why are you only telling him this now?" questioned Julie. "I'm sure Nikki won't be pleased when she sees what you've been up to."

"Oh, I'm sure Nikki will understand..."

Meanwhile, away from the group...

"So I should just **LET** him get away with it?" growled Kelly. "He not only badmouthed me, he badmouthed you as well!"

"It's just talk, Kel!" Ty told her.

"Oh, and him asking me to strip isn't?"

"It's just Jonesy being Jonesy. Look, I'd like to leave Florida without everyone hating you!"

"You don't hate me."

Ty glared at her. "You know I don't count."

"You do to me!"

"Ugh. That's not the... just... be nicer to people, okay?"

Kelly rolled her eyes, but gave in to Ty's request.

"Fine."

As the couple rejoined the party...

* * *

><p>The only absentee was lying in her bed upstairs, with her body turned away from the door and her head buried under a pillow.<p>

_Confessional Cam - Courtney_

_"I can't believe they're partying! At a time like this! You don't celebrate until **AFTER** you've won! I'll show them... when we arrive at the final challenge tomorrow morning and I'm the only one with eight hours of sleep! Then we'll see who's laughing!"_

Courtney continued to lie in bed, trying to drown out the sounds of the party downstairs as she attempted to drift off to sleep.

* * *

><p>The next morning, a small number of bags had been packed, as the eight remaining cast members were getting ready to move out. But first things first... they were putting on their team shirts and getting mentally prepared for the final challenge.<p>

_Confessional Cam - Geoff_

_"Finally, the day we've been aiming for has arrived! Finally, I can win this challenge, avenge Bridgette, and finally bid Blaineley adieu! So long, venomous vixen! I'll be glad to never see you again after today!"_

"We're not winning today unless we all work together!" Courtney told Jonesy and Cody. "So no slacking, you two!"

_Confessional Cam - Cody_

_"I came so close in Hawai'i last year to winning it all! I don't know if I'd be able to live with myself if I failed to win it all **AGAIN**!"_

* * *

><p>The two teams arrived at the starting point of their final challenge, which looked a lot like where they had their first challenge. And that was because it was.<p>

"So..." Blaineley said as she marched up to them, "which team believes they'll win today?"

"**WE DO!**" both teams yelled.

"Just what I wanted to hear! Here's how the final challenge works! There are **EIGHT** parts! Some parts must be completed by the entire team, while others just by one member of each team."

Jonesy snickered. "She said member."

"Each part of the challenge must be finished before moving on to the next one. Failure to do so results in a time penalty, enforced immediately at the time of infraction! Complete all eight parts, then race to the finish line! First team to have their entire team across **WINS**!"

"Sounds easy enough," Julie noted, before adding, "is there a catch?"

"Only one! Every competitor must complete at least **ONE** individual portion. Team Vets, since you are down two members, that means two of you will have to do double duty!"

Geoff chuckled. "She said doody!"

"**NOT DOODY!**" Blaineley yelled at him. "**DOODY**, I mean, **DUTY!** Now, because the producers think it's the only fair thing to do, we're ignoring everything that happened the past three weeks! That means whichever team crosses the finish first will split the **FULL** $300,000 pot!"

"What?" objected Kelly. "Then what was the **POINT** of all of those challenges?"

Blaineley laughed. "For the fans' amusement, of course."

"But that's not fair!" argued Courtney. "We worked hard and lost too many good people to win twice as many challenges as the Groms!"

"And that's why we're taking that into account and giving the Vets an equivalent amount of head start. Like, I dunno... two minutes?"

Cody shrugged. "I suppose that's better than nothing."

"Glad you agree. First part of the challenge... you see those platforms out there?"

She pointed out into the water to two wooden platforms, each of which had a pile of three life-size Heather dolls on them.

"The entire team must swim out there, retrieve the Heather dolls, and bring them back to shore!"

"Awwwww," whined Courtney. "Do we **HAVE** to?"

Blaineley frowned, then pulled out her stopwatch... and started it.

"Um..." Cody queried, "did you just..."

"I'd get in the water if I were you!"

Cody, Courtney, and Jonesy had taken that to mean that Blaineley had just started the clock counting down their two-minute head start. Without telling them beforehand. Courtney immediately stripped out of her clothes...

"**HOT TAMALE!**" Jonesy whistled. "**I NEVER DREAMED THAT...** oh."

...only for everyone to see that she had her swimsuit on underneath.

"Ha! You thought I wasn't prepared?"

"D'oh!" Caitlin smacked herself in the forehead. "I **KNEW** there was something I forgot to put on!"

"She's not the only one!" Cody also publicized. "Uh, guys?"

Courtney was already heading for the water, and Jonesy was taking off his clothes as well to reveal he had his trunks on underneath.

"Man," sighed Cody. "Did I pick a bad day to go au naturale!"

Cody took off his shirt. With no choice but to leave his pants on, he followed his teammates into the water. The Groms began to disrobe on the beach as the Vets swam out to the platform. Courtney got there first, and she climbed up onto it to get the Heather dolls.

"Sheesh," Courtney grumbled as she noted the sub-par craftsmanship. "These things look tacky! Just like Heather!"

She picked one up, walked back to the edge, and threw it at Jonesy... just as he was looking up upon reaching the platform. It bounced off of his head and into the water next to him.

"Ow! Why'd you do that?"

"Because you were gawking!"

She then looked out and saw that Cody was still about 60 meters away.

"**I SAID NO SLACKING, CODY!**"

Cody tried to pick up the pace upon hearing Courtney's yelling, but he could already feel himself getting tired. By the time he got to the platform, Jonesy was already swimming back with his Heather doll...

And two minutes had passed...

"**GO!**" Blaineley shouted.

The entire team raced for the water, but stopped short when they noticed that Caitlin was not with them. In fact, she was still at the starting line... and she was still fully dressed.

_Confessional Cam - Caitlin_

_"I don't want to run around in my underwear on international TV! Boys will think I'm too easy! Then again, I don't want to ruin my capri shorts by getting them wet! It's, like, one of those... catch-12 things or something."_

"It's just one pair of shorts!" Geoff shouted.

"Yeah," Julie rolled her eyes. "When we win and you're rich, you can buy as many of them as you want!"

Caitlin brightened up. "You're right!"

With that matter settled, Caitlin started bolting towards the water, racing past her teammates, and getting in first.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Ty looked at the others. "We've got a challenge to win!"

The Groms cheered happily, then got into the water. As they headed out, they passed Jonesy, who was on his way in, followed by Courtney, who was holding onto her doll with one hand while trying to swim and drag Cody and his doll with her with the other. Jonesy was the first to get onto dry land.

"Yes! Now, what's next?"

He looked around the beach, expecting Blaineley to answer him. But she was nowhere to be found. That is, until she reappeared on board a helicopter hovering overhead.

"Figure it out!" Blaineley shouted at him. "It's part of the challenge!"

With that, the helicopter flew off. Jonesy then glanced down at the Heather doll, which was soggy and already coming apart, with some of the stuffing visibly coming out from the stitching at the neck and at her left leg.

_[End Act One]_

* * *

><p>Jonesy stood there, dumbfounded as to what to do. A couple seconds later, he was joined by his teammates, who were exhausted from their swim.<p>

"Please..." groaned Cody, "please tell me it's over!"

"Where's Blaineley?" asked Courtney. "I wanna know what's next!"

"She just said 'figure it out,'" answered Jonesy.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I dunno! Maybe it has something to do with these Heather dolls?"

Courtney saw Blaineley's helicopter off in the distance. In a fit of rage, Courtney ripped the head off of her Heather doll and flung it in the direction of the chopper. But even Courtney could not it from where she was, and the head ended up landing on the beach 25-30 feet away. But, as it did, it rolled several times on the sand afterwards, emptying its contents as it did. And by contents, that meant more than just stuffing...

"What the..."

Meanwhile, the Groms were arriving at the platform. The boys had gotten there first, followed by Kelly, Caitlin, and Julie.

"Nice likeness!" Geoff commented as he eyed the Heather doll. "They even got her scowl down!"

They then began the swim back, with Ty and Kelly sharing one, Caitlin and Julie the second, and Geoff pulling the third all by himself. Back with the Vets, Courtney had ran over to the dismembered head and had stuck her hand in it. She started pulling things out - stuffing, a few small rocks, a wad of newspaper - as Jonesy and Cody ran over to see what was up. Finally, she found something interesting, and took it out. It was a laminated page of pink paper, and on it were words.

"Trek to the nearby road," she read aloud. "Pick a cab and have the driver take you to Lower Sugarloaf Key. Choose wisely, as you may be stuck with the same driver for the duration of the challenge."

"So what are we waiting for?" Jonesy asked. "Let's go win us some moolah!"

The trio dropped their Heather dolls on the beach, retrieved their clothes, and bolted for the small, tree-lined path leading to the only road accessible by vehicles to this part of the key.

* * *

><p>They reached the road and found four cabs waiting for them. Jonesy led his teammates to one, seemingly at random, and immediately hopped in. Jonesy told them where they were headed, and they were off.<p>

"How'd you know to pick this one?" Courtney asked curiously.

"Es ella tu novia? Ella está caliente!" the Cuban-born driver said to Jonesy.

"Usted lo sabe!" responded Jonesy. "Cada parte de ella! No tan quisquillosos!"

Courtney raised an eyebrow suspiciously.

"What?"

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, the Groms had reached shore and now they were trying to figure out what to do with their Heather dolls. Kelly let go of the one she was holding with Ty, and the second she did, it fell into several pieces in his hands.<p>

"Nice going, genius!" quipped Julie sarcastically.

"How is that **MY** fault?" Kelly asked.

Before anyone could answer, though, Kelly tripped over something on the beach. The Vets' trio of Heather dolls, to be exact. And she quickly noticed that one head had been separated, and it was almost completely empty.

"Could it be... quick, everyone rip off Heather's head and search it!"

"Now **THAT'S** a suggestion I'm all for!" Geoff cried as he obeyed Kelly's order.

* * *

><p>A few minutes later, they had since found the first clue and had arrived at the road.<p>

"There's no way we can all fit into one taxi!" calculated Julie.

But they found a way to make it work. Kelly sat on Ty's lap, no problem. But Geoff refused to let either Caitlin or Julie sit on his, because he was afraid Bridgette might see it and misconstrue what was going on. So one of the girls had to sit up front... with the 30-something driver.

"Hello, nurse!" he said, arcing his eyebrows with interest.

Caitlin uneasily scooted as close to the window as she could, trying to draw attention away from her water-soaked clothes, which were sticking to her body. Particularly her shirt, which left little to the imagination.

"Yeah... I'm just gonna spend the whole ride looking away from you."

* * *

><p>The Vets arrived at the second part of the challenge first. They knew where to stop because they saw a life-size Ripper doll tied to a pole. And it was pointing into a parking lot at the Sugarloaf Marina. There, they saw Blaineley waiting for them. And next to her was a table... with three domed dishes on it.<p>

The trio hopped out and went up to the hostess.

"Welcome to part two, Vets! This is the first task in which only one of you have to complete. Pick one of the three dishes behind me, and consume its contents!"

Team Vets looked at each other, wondering what to do.

_Confessional Cam - Courtney_

_"I'm the only person on our team that actually completed that challenge! I then, consequently, spent the rest of the day running to and from the bathroom!"_

Courtney heard her stomach groan, yet her lust for victory pushed her to volunteer. She stepped forward, and saw the domed dishes, labeled 'A', 'B', and 'C.'

"I'll go with 'A.'"

Blaineley smirked. "I was hoping you'd say that!"

She lifted the dome, and Courtney shrieked in terror when she saw that on the plate were three green jello shots, with cockroach parts in it.

"Great!" Cody remarked with half-sarcasm, half-doom. "The one thing Courtney just so happens to be afraid of!"

"The cockroaches?" the uninformed Jonesy guessed.

"You're sick!" declared Courtney, pointing at Blaineley. "Sick, sick, **SICK!**"

"I take it you **WON'T** eat it then? Fine... 30-minute penalty!"

"**30 MINUTES?**"

Courtney walked over to a water cooler and sat down on it. She and her teammates went to wait out their penalty. One that was damaging considering the Groms showed up only six minutes in.

"Okay, Groms," Blaineley said to them after explaining the rules. "Who wants it?"

Ty raised his hand and stepped forward. He had two choices in front of him.

"I'll go with 'C.'"

"Mmm," Blaineley said with a smile. "You know what starts with a C? **RANCID CREAM CHEESE!**"

"Actually..." Julie raised a finger to correct the hostess.

Blaineley lifted the dome and showed that on the plate were three Philadelphia sushi rolls. Ty shrugged, then lobbed the first one in his mouth. The cheese was gooey and sticky, but he somehow managed to get it down. He then went to downing the other two.

"Wow," commented Blaineley, "looks like we didn't leave it in the sun long enough."

Ty opened his mouth to show Blaineley he had swallowed all three, and he was rewarded with a bottle of water. He twisted off the cap and immediately chugged about a quarter of it down, before spitting it back out.

"Man, that was nasty!" he said, before seeing something written on the inside of the label.

He pulled the label off and saw the words 'Rockland Key.'

"And, hey... the next destination!"

The Groms ran back to their cab, leaving the Vets to stew in the sun.

* * *

><p>The Groms found themselves at the obstacle course - or at least part of it - and Blaineley was there, waiting for them.<p>

"How did you get here before us?" Geoff asked. "And what about..."

"Part three!" Blaineley cut him off. "One person must climb this ten-foot wall, then follow the planks up to the top, obtain a doll, then come back down using the zip line! Ring the bell at the end of the obstacle to complete the course!"

"I guess I'm up," Kelly announced.

"Are you sure?" Ty asked.

"What? You don't believe in me?"

"That's not what..."

"Good!"

Kelly began her ascent up the wall. It was a slow climb, one that took several exhausting minutes. But she made it. Her hands were on her hips as she made the gentle-sloped trip the rest of the way up.

_Confessional Cam - Julie_

_"Look at Kelly, taking her time! It's like she wants us to lose!"_

"**STOP DILLY-DALLYING!**" cried Julie.

Kelly gasped for air at the top, then turned to yell down a comeback.

"**COME UP HERE AND SAY THAT TO MY FACE, YOU WENCH!**"

"Wow," an unimpressed Caitlin commented. "If that's the best she can come up with, she's really out of it today."

Kelly dragged a life-size Sierra doll, which happened to be taller than she was, towards the zip line. Wrapping the doll's arms over her shoulders, she then reached up to grab the bar. They began the trip down, but the Sierra doll proved too heavy for Kelly's light frame. Her hands slipped from the bar, and they went plummeting into the giant mud puddle below. Geoff and Julie were smiling, and Blaineley was rolling on the ground in hysterical laughter as the completely mud-covered Kelly stomped out of the pit, dragging the Sierra doll behind her as she rang the bell.

"**JUST GIMME MY STINKIN' CLUE!**"

Blaineley gathered herself just long enough to tell Kelly...

"Check your doll!"

Kelly groaned, then threw the Sierra doll on dry land. She then began the task of getting all the mud off by hand, searching for the clue.

"I'm really starting to hate you!" Kelly screamed at the hostess.

"Only starting?" the blonde woman smiled in reply.

"**ARGH!**"

After a few more minutes, Kelly located the answer, on Sierra's pant leg. It was 'Summerland Key.'

* * *

><p>On the way to the next challenge, Ty seemed a little dazed and confused in the cab. And not just because Kelly was dropping some leftover caked mud on her body onto his lap.<p>

"You okay?" Kelly asked.

"Not... sure..." answered Ty, unable to quantify his feelings.

While the couple dealt with their issues, they did not see the Vets' cab going past them in the opposite direction. And neither did the Vets...

"I swear," Courtney growled as she squeezed the water bottle in her right hand, "if I find out Blaineley set that up on purpose..."

"Oh, ella es una alegre uno, no es ella?" the driver asked as he glanced at Jonesy.

Jonesy smiled as he replied, "Que hace grandes, si saben a qué me refiero."

The two shared a quick laugh, but that ended abruptly when Jonesy saw Courtney giving him another quizzical look.

"Nothing," he lied. "Just talkin' 'bout sports. Heh heh..."

* * *

><p>The Groms, meanwhile, arrived at the fourth part of the challenge, and were greeted by a mini-version of the water tank puzzle. Only this time, the large 10-gallon tank was completely full of water and had no one in it, and their puzzle was solved. It just needed water to work.<p>

"We've done most of the work for you," Blaineley told them. "As a team, you must fill all of the tanks in the completed water system. Problem is, I'm not gonna tell you how much you need. You have to guess based on the parts in place. You must then tell me how many one-gallon jugs you need. Guess correctly, because if you don't have enough OR you have too much... 15-minute penalty per each gallon you're off!"

The team ran off to analyze the system, theirs designated by the large Owen doll next to it.

"Can they figure out the puzzle?" Blaineley asked the audience. "Or will they mess up and allow Team Vets to catch up? See who gets to the finish line first... after this final commercial break!"

_[End Act Two]_

* * *

><p>As the Groms analyze their system, a check-up on the Vets shows them one challenge behind, as Jonesy had just finished scaling the wall. He then fulfilled the urge in him to yell...<p>

"**I'M THE KING OF THE WORLD!**"

On the ground, Courtney facepalmed.

"Hey," Jonesy said as he picked up the Fin doll from the ground, "what do you say? Wanna go down with me?"

The Fin doll, as it should, did not respond.

"That's what I thought, babe!"

He grabbed the zip line, and the two began their descent, with the doll's legs wrapped around the front of his stomach. The pair then fell into the mud below after Jonesy tried to showboat by keeping only one hand on the bar.

"**AAAAAHHHHHH!**"

* * *

><p>"It's gotta be eight," Julie calculated.<p>

"You sure?" Kelly questioned.

"Positive. That large one is twice as big as the medium-size tank."

Kelly nodded, then marched over to Blaineley.

"Seven jugs, and make it snappy!"

"But," argued Julie, "I said eight!"

"Exactly! And I don't trust you! **YOU'RE** trying to screw me over!"

"I dunno," Geoff piped in. "I think Julie's right."

Caitlin nodded in agreement. Ty... was lying on the ground, groaning in agony.

"You okay, bro?" Geoff glanced over at Ty.

Ty gave him a thumbs up, although his face told a different story.

"Fine," Kelly relented. "We'll get eight."

* * *

><p>The Groms had received their eight jugs and had filled them. Now came the process of figuring out what entry point to dump them in, and there were three to choose from.<p>

"Got it!" figured out Julie. "Three each in the left and center entry points, two in the right one!"

Julie, Geoff, and Caitlin started inputting the water as Julie had calculated, with Kelly and Ty nowhere to be seen. Just as they were finishing, Caitlin noticed, out of the corner of her eye, the Vets arriving at last.

"Why does this feel... light?"

Caitlin glanced over at Julie, who had just asked that question. The eighth and final jug... was only just over half-full. They then saw Kelly trying to force the ill Ty to drink some water... from a bottle that was mysteriously full again.

"Please tell me she didn't use some of the water..."

"I think Kelly used some of the water to help Ty."

Julie glared at Caitlin. "I told you not to tell me!"

The Vets were analyzing their system, designated by a Reef doll, while Blaineley checked out the Groms'.

"Not filled all the way," she told them, seeing that the water in the largest tank was not all the way to the top. "15-minute penalty!"

In response, Julie, Caitlin, and Geoff stared angrily down at Kelly, who looked back upon feeling their heated glares. She stared at them, then at Ty, then at the water bottle in her hand, and finally, back at her teammates. She then asked, dumbfounded.

"What?"

* * *

><p>The next 15 minutes were kinda boring, as the Groms waited out their penalty, while the Vets had begun filling their one-gallon jugs. Courtney had figured out that they needed eight, but, like before, the dispenser was so slow that it took a couple minutes to fill each one. As a result, they still had two jugs to fill when the Groms' penalty time had elapsed.<p>

"Okay, Groms, your next clue is on your doll! Good luck!"

They raced over, with the exception of Kelly, who was holding up a green-faced Ty as they walked over.

"Eew," Caitlin winced... upon finding the clue in the Owen doll's back hair. "Gross!"

"Missouri Key?" Geoff scratched his head. "Why does that sound so familiar?"

* * *

><p>"Oh... that's why!"<p>

The Groms were at Castoff Beach, where all of the elimination challenges were held. All of the obstacles were set up, as was the wheel. Blaineley was there, and she had a nine-inch Bridgette doll in hand. The hostess put on her best ventriloquist act, voicing the surfer blonde's doll.

"'Allow me to tell you what you're doing here.'"

She then threw the Bridgette doll to the ground, to Geoff's disgust.

"No! I'm the hostess! You're just a two-bit amateur who didn't even have the decency to wait for me to be around to see her sent adrift!"

"Are you done raggin' on my girl?" an angry Geoff growled.

"For now. Anyway... welcome back to Castoff Beach! Here's parts five through seven... three people must each take on one of the challenges, with modified rules, of course. You may all spin the wheel now, but you must go in the order you spin, and you cannot start until the person before you has completed his or her task."

With Ty and Kelly having already done their individual challenges, it was up to Caitlin, Julie, and Geoff to do the Castoff Beach ones.

* * *

><p>"I don't think this is fair!" cried Caitlin.<p>

She and Julie both had the misfortune of drawing Hang for Your Life. Their task... to get to the other side without falling in the water. Going in meant they had to start from the beginning. Geoff was a little bit luckier, as he had drawn Ascent to Glory, which just required him to climb to the top. But since he spun last, he could not go until both of the girls had finished.

"Time's tickin'!" Kelly shouted at the girls. "The other team will be here any minute!"

Caitlin grabbed the first ring, then jumped off the platform to swing to the next...

And then her hand slipped and she went plummeting into the water.

"Ugh," growled Kelly. "Could this day get any worse?"

* * *

><p>"Faster!" screeched Courtney, as she handed another full jug to Cody.<p>

Cody received, then strained a little as he passed it up to Jonesy, who was dumping it into the water system.

"I do not know how much more it can take, captain!" joked Jonesy.

* * *

><p>"<strong>AAAAAAHHHHH!<strong>"

Caitlin had fallen in four times already, still having yet to pass the second ring. Blaineley smiled, even as Kelly frowned at her.

"**NOW** this is fun!" the hostess quipped.

* * *

><p>At the same time, Blaineley was giving the Vets a thumbs up, having correctly filled their water tanks. She pointed at the Reef doll, which Courtney sprinted over to and immediately began to rip apart. Jonesy screamed like a girl, then cowered in fear behind Cody. Cody was nonchalant as the doll's torso landed in front of him, with the shirt in the back lifted up and the clue clearly visible in the back hair.<p>

"Heh," Cody noted, "must be that time of the month."

* * *

><p>Later, the Vets had just arrived at Castoff Beach. Caitlin was making progress, but still could not make it halfway across before her arms gave out and she went falling into the water again. In desperation, Kelly turned to Blaineley.<p>

"You! What's the penalty if Caitlin gives up?"

"30 minutes," answered Blaineley.

"**WHAT?** She's been up there at least 20 already! Why didn't you tell us that sooner?"

"You didn't ask, sweetie. Oh, and look... here come the Vets!"

"How are you here?" Courtney asked, confused.

"A girl always has her secrets," Blaineley smirked. "Anyway, three Castoff Beach challenges. Spin to find out what they are!"

* * *

><p>The Vets' spins were much more favorable, as Cody had gotten Remember the Sequence, Jonesy had Hang for Your Life, and Courtney had 20 Questions. In this version of Remember the Sequence, Cody had to repeat three sequences, each of different lengths. If he made a mistake, he had to restart from the first sequence. Make three, and he failed the challenge, resulting in a time penalty.<p>

"I can do this," Cody repeated aloud. "I can do this!"

The first sequence: red, blue, black, white, yellow, yellow, blue, red, black, red. Cody looked flabbergasted, then got buzzed for taking too long to press a button.

"Oh, **COME ON!**"

* * *

><p>"I'm <strong>NEVER<strong> gonna pass this!" whined Caitlin, as she got onto the starting platform for the... actually, she had lost track of what attempt number she was on.

"It's easy," Jonesy told her. "Just swing to the other side."

"Easy for you to say, Jonesy! I have string beans for arms!"

* * *

><p>"Go, Cody!" cheered Courtney. "Go, Cody!"<p>

Cody was in the midst of the final sequence, but he had already been buzzed twice. One more mistake...

"...blue, blue, white, yellow, yellow, red, and... **YELLOW!**"

A bell dinged, signifying Cody was correct. He turned to yell at Jonesy.

"**JONESY! GO, MAN, GO!**"

Jonesy began his journey over the ocean, even though Caitlin was on the course ahead of them... and for once, she had made it passed halfway without falling in. Jonesy concentrated as he went across, one ring at a time. He eventually caught up to Caitlin, about two rings from the end... and then passed her. Jonesy landed both feet on the other side cleanly, and he raised his arms triumphantly.

"**YES!** Vets rule, baby!"

Caitlin was grimacing in pain as she tried to swing to the next-to-last ring, but then her grip gave way again, and she took another dive into the sea.

"Jonesy's done!" Courtney said, as she turned to Blaineley. "Let's go, **GO, GO!**"

"Calm down!" Blaineley told her. "I'm ready. Just ask whenever you're..."

"Is it Jonesy?"

Surprised by Courtney guessing even before Blaineley had pulled the card with a name on it out of its envelope, she hesitated before looking down to see what the answer was.

"It... **IS** Jonesy! Nice guess!"

"**WHAT?**" Kelly screamed.

Blaineley handed Courtney a card with the final location on it. It read 'South Beach, in Key West.'

"Victory, here we come!" Courtney said with triumph.

She and Cody waited for Jonesy to swim in, then they headed to their cab.

"No way!" complained Kelly. "**NO!**"

Suddenly, Ty, who was lying on Kelly's lap, felt his mouth full up. He tried to turn the opposite way, but with his sense of direction blurry, he actually turned towards Kelly's stomach...

...and promptly puked into it.

"**EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEKKKKKKKKK!**"

* * *

><p>Upon arriving at South Beach, they saw a signpost that read 'Arrange the following dolls, in order of elimination. The numbers on their foreheads make up the combination to the safe, which holds the location of the finish line.' The Vets saw life-size dolls of Darth, Jen, Lo, Trent, and Wyatt waiting for them.<p>

"I got it!" Courtney shouted. "Boys, start rearranging!"

After only a couple minutes, Courtney had directed them to arrange them so that they sat, from left to right, Lo, Wyatt, Darth, Jen, and Trent. On their foreheads were the numbers '7,' '3,' '6,' '1', and '5,' which Courtney then inputted into safe's keyboard, in that exact order. It unlocked in one go.

"**YES!**"

Courtney pulled out the clue and read it aloud to the guys.

"'The finish line is located 90 miles from Cuba, better known as the southernmost point in the United States. First team across wins!'"

* * *

><p>After a short two-block run, Cody, Courtney, and Jonesy were ecstatic as they all saw the 12 previously eliminated competitors waiting at the finish, gathered around an on-land buoy that designated that location as the southernmost point in the country. Almost all of them were happy to see the Vets cross the line first, even if some of them wished they were on the other side.<p>

"We won?" Courtney asked, a bit in shock. "**WE WON?**"

"**WE WON!**" Cody yelled in exuberance.

"Congratulations, Team Vets!"

Bridgette stepped out of the crowd with a microphone in hand.

"As the first team across the finish, you guys have won 'Fresh Challenge: Vets vs. Groms!' Your reward... the three of you **SPLIT** $300,000!"

Three large checks, each worth $100,000, were handed out to Cody, Courtney, and Jonesy... their prize for the victory.

"I knew we'd win!" Jonesy boasted.

"As if there was any doubt," Courtney smirked at him. "Oh, and Jonesy..."

"Yeah?"

"Si **ALGUNA VEZ **hacer una broma de nuevo sobre mí y que en el saco..."

"**AAAHHH!**" Jonesy screamed. "You mean..."

"I'm half-Hispanic too, **DUMMY!**"

She pulled out her water bottle from earlier and dumped what liquid was left in it onto Jonesy's head.

"Point taken."

* * *

><p>45 minutes later, the Groms finally arrived at the finish line, after being told that the Vets had finished. Still, they got a modest amount of cheers as they crossed. First Caitlin and Julie, then Geoff, who was helping Ty across the line, and lastly, a disgusted Kelly.<p>

"This is the **WORST** day of my life!" she screamed.

The rest of team, including Ty, who was feeling a lot better now, went over to congratulate the Vets on winning the competition.

"I'm happy for you guys," Caitlin said, despite her obvious disappointment.

"Courtney and Cody finally won one of these things," Geoff laughed, "who would've thunk it?"

"Say," Julie finally wondered, "what happened to Blaineley? Not that I care, but..."

"I can answer that question," replied Bridgette. "Apparently, she tried to skip town, knowing full well that when the show was over, her work-release program would be done, and she'd be sent back to prison."

"But..." Cody pointed out, "Blaineley was everywhere we were!"

"Not... quite!"

Four Blaineleys appeared before the crew, with their chest plate doors swung wide open? They were all robots, if it was not made immediately apparent by all of the gears and wires that were now visible.

"Truth be told, she skipped town some point between her latest parole meeting and her quote-unquote return here the day after my elimination!"

"That means all of the challenges since then don't count," hoped Kelly.

"Sorry, but the producers said they'll allow the final results to stand! Cody, Courtney, and Jonesy, each of you are now $100,000 richer!"

"**HA!**" laughed Courtney. "In your face, Blaineley!"

"Hold on," Caitlin cut in. "Shouldn't we be worried if she's out on the loose?"

Bridgette answered with a smile, then held up a newspaper. "Nope!"

It was a middling article on page three, but the headline was still large enough to read. 'Fugitive Hostess Captured in Miami.'

"I don't think Blaineley will be harassing me, or any of us, for the next 10 to 20 years."

Everyone cheered upon hearing that.

"This calls for a celebration!" Geoff shouted. "Party on the beach! **WOOOOOO!**"

"I can't believe it!" Sierra cried as she wrapped her arms around Cody. "My Cody's a hundred-thousandaire!"

"Yes, I am!" Cody happily declared, too happy to care how close Sierra was to him.

The 20 Canadian teens whooped and hollered as they made their way to the beach, to party the rest of the day, and possibly night, away.

**The End**

**Author's Notes:**  
>After 13 weeks, there you go! The Vets win 'Fresh Challenge!'<p>

I think mostly all the loose ends got tied up... not like there was room for more given this episode ran overtime. If I missed something big, let me know! It may get resolved in the future.

Also, there will be a link to a big poll on my profile page this Monday. I ask anyone who's read any of my stories this year, including this one, to fill it out. I'd really appreciate it. Especially if you want to see a sequel... hint, hint.

Thanks for your patronage! Don't forget to review, and be on the lookout for other Fresh TV related fanfics in the near future!

- Freedom Fighter


	14. The Extremely Belated Reunion Special

**"Fresh Challenge: Vets vs. Groms"**  
><strong>Story Written by Freedom Fighter<strong>

More than six months after the conclusion of "Fresh Challenge," the cast finally reunites to talk about what happened. Sort of.

**Note:** Heads up, one semi-big spoiler from Season 2 of "Stoked" is included, just so you know!

**Disclaimer:** All characters are the property of Fresh TV, Inc.

* * *

><p><em>20 teens, 3 weeks, $300,000 on the line<em>  
><em>And only one team to split the prize<em>

_[Cast Intros]_  
><em>Fin and Lo are in the midst of a staring match<br>Trent is trying to teach Ty how to play guitar  
>Sierra hugs Cody to the point his face is turning blue<br>Jen reaches out to help, but Darth shakes his head  
>Owen and Ripper produce fart clouds together...<em>  
><em>And Kelly and Caitlin cover their noses and run away<br>Jonesy hands Wyatt a book that says 'How to Score Chicks'_  
><em>Courtney chats with Bridgette, even though she looks...<em>  
><em>Over at Geoff, who is giving Julie an autograph<br>And Reef snatches a crown off of Heather's head and puts it on his_

_The twenty competitors then appeared on a boat in the Atlantic Ocean, approaching the Florida Keys. Blaineley was shown behind the wheel, driving them to their destination._

_[Blaineley]_  
><em>Two teams 13 challenges<em>  
><em>May the best team win!<em>  
><em>This is 'Fresh Challenge: Vets vs. Groms!'<em>

**-**  
><strong>Fresh Challenge: Vets vs. Groms<br>The Extremely Belated Reunion Special (03.15.12)**  
><strong>-<strong>

The crowd applauded as the lights went up in the small theater, and they were greeted by their hosts... Trent and Emma?

"Hi, everybody, what's up?" Trent asked.

"We're here tonight to reunite the cast of last summer's hit reality series, 'Fresh Challenge: Vets vs. Groms!'" stated Emma.

"Um, Emma, right? About that..."

"Oh, where are our manners? We forgot to introduce ourselves! I'm Emma!"

"And I'm Trent. But, back to reuniting the cast."

"We've got a super, super show planned for you all tonight, and only a short time to do it!"

"But..."

"Let's welcome all of our guests! Come on out, guys!"

"Ladies and gentlemen, entering first, the Vets!"

Attention turned stage left. But this time, a few people did emerge. And by few, it was actually just a couple.

"Yeah, baby!" Jonesy exclaimed. "The Jones-meister is in tha house!"

The audience cheered as Jonesy walked over to the hosts, and those who had gotten out of their seats quickly scrambled back to them. Tagging along with him was Cody, and upon his appearance, a loud squeal went up among a small group of girls a few rows back. Cody acknowledged with a simple wave, but did not do much more than that. He had an anxious look on his face.

"So, including you, just three of the Vets are here?" Emma was shocked. "And not even a single girl? That... that doesn't make any sense!"

"Oh," Jonesy spoke up. "You talkin' 'bout rich girl, right? Don't know. She went to use the bathroom 15 minutes ago."

"Oh! I'd better go find her!"

With that, Emma ran off the stage to get Lo. That left Trent to emcee alone as Jonesy and Cody took their seats.

"Um, okay, so what was I supposed to do now? Oh, right... now introducing... the Groms!"

"**EEEEEEEE! CODYYYYYYY!**"

Sierra sprinted out like a cheetah and she tackled Cody to the floor, taking the chair he was sitting on - and a few others as well - with him. Once the two were on the ground, Sierra started rubbing the side of her face against his.

"Didn't I get enough of this backstage?"

"It's never enough, Cody-wody!"

Meanwhile, the spotlight shined on Caitlin, who was on the receiving end of some wolf whistled and catcalls as she strutted onto the stage. She had a big smile on her face as she blew a kiss to the audience. She stopped halfway to her seat to address them.

"Oh, thank you, thank you! You love me! You really love me**EEEEE...**"

She was cut off by Kelly, who pushed Caitlin out of her way. That drew a chorus of boos from the majority of the theater. She ignored them as she picked up one of the chairs Sierra had knocked over so that she could sit down. She crossed her arms and her legs and waited for everyone else to get to their seats.

Once everyone was settled, including Cody prying himself from Sierra's tight grip, Trent could finally begin to ask questions.

"So, where should we start?"

Cody raised his hand.

"Not for nothing, but you look a bit nervous to be hosting this. What happened to Geoff and Bridgette? Isn't this their gig?"

Trent opened his mouth to answer, but Sierra beat him to it.

"Thanks to Blaineley, Bridgette refused to come. She was very upset over Blaineley trying to screw her out of the game at every turn! She felt that she'd do something unlike her if she ever had to be face to face with that woman again. And as for Geoff, well, you know he has to be supportive of his girl!"

"That's... Sierra, how did you know about that?"

"How else, Trent? I heard it through the grapevine! And the IRC. And perhaps via carrier pigeon. At least I **THINK** that was a pigeon."

"And what about Blaineley?" queried Kelly. "The Queen of Mean couldn't be bothered to show up?"

Again, Trent went to answer, but...

"She's behind bars and they threw away the key! Well, not really threw away, per se, but she's gonna be locked up for a long, long, long, long, long, **LONG** time."

"Ahem," coughed Trent. "Sierra, would **YOU** like to host the show?"

Sierra gasped, then screamed with glee. "Really? Yes, I'd love to!"

"What? Wait, I was joking!"

Sierra stood up and shouted, "Somebody mic me!"

Kristen and Kirsten, aka 'The Clones,' ran in from stage right. Kristen had an earpiece in hand, while Kirsten had the actual mic. Once Sierra was set, the two blondes exited the stage.

"Alright," Sierra said, ready to begin, "let's do this!"

Cody raised his hand once more. "Um, can I object?"

"Nope!"

Now Kelly raised hers. "If he can't, then I do! I didn't agree to this!"

"Maybe not, but perhaps you would once I force you to explain you being the new **NEW** Heather!"

"One, I did a few 'bad' things, but I am **NOT** evil like Heather..."

A few boos and cries of 'liar, liar' came from the audience.

"And, two... I withdraw my objection."

She lowered her hand. Without any further objections, Sierra began her unofficial hosting duties.

"So, Cody. What do you think is my best feature?"

Cody began to sweat. "Um..."

"Uh, Sierra?" Trent cut in. "If you're gonna do this hosting thing, you have to actually ask him about something that happened on the show."

"Oh, right! I get it! So, Cody."

Cody gulped.

"What happened after I left? Did Jen try to sink her claws into you?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about!"

"**A-HA!** Classic case of 'Stockholm Syndrome!'"

"I don't even know what that means!"

"What did she do to you that made you want to empathize with her?"

"Jen would never do that," Caitlin shouted. "At least, not without me knowing."

"Nobody asked you! Cody, answer the question!"

"Nothing! She did nothing!"

"Sticking with your story, huh? Well, I have ways of making you talk!"

She tackled Cody once again, and this time, she grabbed his left shoe and tried to pull it off. He struggled to get away.

"Ha ha ha!" laughed Jonesy. "Go get 'em, tiger!"

"Maybe we should help him," suggested Caitlin, shooting a glance over at Kelly.

"And tangle with Crazy Pants? No thank you!"

Trent tried to keep the show going despite it deteriorating before his eyes.

"Well. Let's check in with the co-host I started this show with, Emma! Emma?"

The video screen behind the competitors, none of which had realized was there before now, turned on. Emma was shown in one of the dressing room.

"Trent? It's Emma! Can you hear me?"

"Loud and clear. Last we checked, you were searching for Lo! Any luck?"

"No! And I'm worried! I've gone through all of the dressing rooms and she wasn't in any of them!"

"That's not good."

Emma was genuinely concerned for the whereabouts of her friend, but her mind became sidetracked when she noticed what was going on with Sierra and Cody.

"Um, what are they doing?"

"I wish I knew myself. Hey, Sierra, what are-"

"**WHY ARE YOU TUGGING AT MY PANTS?**" screamed Cody, off-screen.

"Guys!" cried Emma. "I don't think we can show that on TV!"

Emma ran away from the camera, assumedly heading back to the stage. Trent, meanwhile, moved to get Sierra dislodged from Cody before he lost more than just a shoe. The camera operator on the stage swung the camera around to Kristen and Kirsten, who were together in one of the aisles, about ten or twelve rows back.

"The camera's on us, Kirsten! What do we do?"

"No! Kristen, it can't be! Doesn't the camera add, like, ten pounds? Quick, does it look like I've gained weight?"

Kristen squinted as she stared at Kirsten's stomach.

"Not sure. Perhaps you shouldn't have had that taco in the green room?"

"Taco? I thought that was a giant eggroll!"

"**TELL THEM WE'RE GOING TO BREAK!**" Trent shouted from the stage.

The camera cut to static.

_[End Act One]_

* * *

><p>Things were back under control just in time for the show to resume. Emma was back on stage, Sierra was no longer trying to do unmentionable things to Cody in public, and Cody was just relieved that he kept all of his clothes on.<p>

"We're back, with the 'Fresh Challenge: Vets vs. Groms: The Extremely Belated Reunion Special,'" announced Trent.

"With things under control and the production crew looking for Lo," stated Emma, "we can finally get to what you want to hear! Us asking the cast to explain what happened on the show!"

"Let's start with the Vets."

Trent looked over at his former teammates, Jonesy and Cody.

"First off, Jonesy, we all want to know... how did it feel for you guys to cross that finish line first?"

"It was the greatest feeling in the world, Trent! A beautiful locale to wrap things up, and some good friends to share it with! Not to mention one hundred Gs, baby!"

"Cody. Was there any point during the final challenge that you thought you guys weren't going to get to the finish line first?"

"Definitely near the beginning, when Courtney refused to eat those cockroach-filled jello shots. We lost the lead and never got it back until we got to Castoff Beach."

"Speaking of which," Emma said, turning to the Groms, "Groms, you seemingly had this won. But then the bottom fell out. Both of you clearly had a hand in that."

"In my defense," Kelly sneered, "I was trying to help Ty after that stupid sushi gave him food poisoning!"

"Sure, but you were the one who gave Ty water during the water puzzle part of the challenge. You would have had enough."

"Don't judge me, Emma. You would've done the same thing!"

"So? Maybe. But it doesn't matter because..."

"Because you weren't in the challenge? Sorry, but it did. You just want to admit it."

Caitlin raised her hand to put in her two cents.

"In my opinion, I think what Kelly did was very sweet. Even if it did end up leading to us losing."

"Speaking of, Caitlin... let's talk Hang for Your Life."

Caitlin groaned.

"At that point in the challenge, the Groms were still ahead! So, what happened?"

"Those rings, Emma. Those gosh darn rings! They were so, so, **SO** slippery! I couldn't get a good grip on them. They were all wet!"

Jonesy snickered. "That's what she said."

"No matter what I did, I just couldn't stay up there!"

"Do you know how long it took for you to clear that?"

"It felt like forever! I was told later it was at least half an hour! Ugh! It was the worst thing ever!"

Trent turned to Cody.

"So, man, what did you guys think of the final make-up of the team? Going into the final challenge, were the two of you and Courtney confident that the three of you could pull off the victory?"

"I liked our chances, I tell you that much. That being said, we probably would've been unbeatable if you were in it instead of me. Again, sorry for voting you into Castoff Beach."

"You don't have to apologize for anything, Cody!" shouted Sierra.

"It's okay, Sierra." Trent waved her off. "In the end, it was still up to me to beat Ty. And I didn't."

Trent looked over at Kelly, expecting her to be smug about Ty's victory. But she had an odd non-reaction to it all.

"Um..."

"What? Sure, I was happy Ty won because he was my teammate! But that's it."

Caitlin eyed Kelly suspiciously. "Wow. Is something up? That's, like, the first time you've ever passed up any opportunity to gush about how great Ty is! Did something happen between you two?"

Emma suddenly became giddy, doing a poor job of hiding her feelings, as she knew what was up.

"I don't want to talk about it."

"**HA!**" Jonesy exclaimed, jumping out of his seat and pointing at Kelly. "He dumped you, didn't you?"

Kelly nodded sadly. Caitlin gasped, as did most of the audience. Emma... got up and started to dance happily.

"That's right! That's right! Uh huh! Uh huh!"

She then stopped, realizing that not only was she being unprofessional, but she was also making a fool of herself. She blushed, then calmly sat back down and pulled the top of her shirt over her eyes.

"Somebody's happy about this break-up," Trent stated.

"If I didn't know any better," Caitlin thought aloud, "you're happy they're no longer together. That means... gasp... you've had a crush on Ty this whole time!"

"Don't say that!" Emma cried, her voice muffled partially by the fabric of her shirt. "All of Canada will know, including Ty."

"We're on TV," Kelly grumbled. "Of course he's gonna find out. Besides, it's not like it's a big secret. You openly flirted with Ty while the two of us were still together!"

Emma pulled her head out of her shirt to issue a dreamy response.

"I couldn't help. He's just too... too... too..."

"You can say he's 'The One,'" Caitlin told her. "That's what I'd do."

"Ugh!" growled Kelly. "Can we not talk about this? That happened months **AFTER** the show was over! If we want to talk about 'The One,' Cooke, why don't we talk about you and Trent?"

Caitlin's eyes went wide. Trent slumped down in his seat. Sierra clapped in response.

"Ooh, juicy! The one thing I don't know is what happened to you two after the show. Y'know, Caitlin, after you gave Trent your phone number? I saw that when I watched that episode. I wish I had thought of that. Say, Cody, maybe I should give you my number?"

"I already have your number!" Cody told her, exasperated.

Sierra gasped. "How? I never told you!"

"It shows up on my phone every time you call me. Every hour, on the hour, when we're not together. Even at night."

"Tee hee... you're always the dreamiest when you speaking slobbering gibberish at 4 a.m."

"No one cares!" Kelly snapped at Sierra, before turning back to Caitlin. "So, what's up with you two?"

"I'm kinda with Kelly here," admitted Emma, as she glanced at her co-host. "Did you two guys go on a date or what?"

Trent just sat there, twiddling his thumbs, while Caitlin nervously tugged at her shirt collar. Neither of them seemed comfortable about giving a response. Until, simultaneously...

"Nothing happened, we're just friends!"

They both then covered their mouths with their hands. All that did was make Emma, Kelly, and the audience want to hear more.

"Oh, come on!" Emma continued. "Caitlin, you were caught on film eying Trent. Several times! Plus, you gave him your number! A girl doesn't just give a hottie her digits without reason."

She then realized she had just called Trent a hottie, and he was sitting right next to her.

"And by that I mean hot in the general sense, not necessarily that I think you're hot. Which means to say you're not hot, but Ty's much hotter than you and why did I just say that last part out loud?"

Emma buried her face in her shirt in embarrassment once more. Trent just seemed confused about what to do, and Caitlin was not sure if she wanted to relive what happened that day. Not that it was not already replaying itself in her mind.

"I could tell you what happened," Jonesy spoke up.

Caitlin gasped, then put her hands together, pleading for her friend to not spill the beans.

"That is," he continued, "**IF I CARED! HA!**"

Both Trent and Caitlin breathed a sigh of relief.

"Their 'date,' whether they want to call it one or not, happened the same day Courtney flew to Toronto to see me!"

"Courtney flew to Toronto to see you?" Sierra repeated.

"Yep! I'm telling ya, the girl can't keep her hands off me. She **SO** wants me!"

"That's quite not I remember from our time in Key West," Trent said, finally talking again now that the topic of discussion had changed.

"Her lips may have been saying 'No,' but trust me. I know how she thinks, and in her mind, she was saying 'Yes.' She was just too focused on winning, that's all."

"That's funny," Caitlin said, though she was not laughing. "I seem to remember that day differently."

"Given you don't want to talk about you and Trent..." interjecting Kelly.

"We're just friends! **SERIOUSLY!**"

"Ah," Jonesy smiled. "That date was magical."

"That's not what our cameramen tell us," Emma spoke up. "We had some crew members there that day as well, filming clips for this very show, to catch up with some of our contestants."

Jonesy suddenly became a bit nervous. "Oh, yeah. I had forgotten about that."

"Should we show it?" Trent asked rhetorically.

Emma smiled. "I think people want us too. Right?"

She was practically begging for the audience to respond, and they did. Enthusiastically, in favor of seeing it. All except for...

"Hey! **HEY!** Hold on!"

Someone had gotten out of her seat and was heading to the stage. Jonesy screamed in panic as he ducked behind his seat. Sierra gasped as she recognized who was coming their way.

"OMG, it's Jonesy' RLGF, LOL!"

"What?" Trent looked at her funny.

"RLGF! Real-life girlfriend, duh! It's Nikki Wong!"

Sure enough, Nikki was stomping towards the stage, angry as heck. She had made it to the stairs leading up to where the competitors were all sitting, but Kristen and Kirsten had run over to block the way.

"Famous people only, Nikki!" Kirsten said to her.

"Yeah! You're not allowed to go up there!" Kristen shouted.

But Nikki was not going to be denied, and she growled angrily at them, which was more than enough to scare The Clones into getting out of the way. The crowd cheered as Nikki made her way over to Jonesy.

"This is getting good, folks!" Emma commented. "Nikki looks peeved!"

She and Trent slowly backed their chairs away a few hops, and the others on stage did likewise, leaving Nikki a clear path to her 'in deep doo-doo' boyfriend, Jonesy.

"Mother..." he said, his voice cracking in fear.

_[End Act Two]_

* * *

><p>The show resumed with the camera focused not on the stage, but rather down in the dressing room, where Kristen and Kirsten had fled to after being scared off by Nikki.<p>

"Wow, Kirsten, Nikki looks like she wanted to rip Jonesy's head off."

"I know, Kristen! I wouldn't want to be Jonesy right now. The poor guy."

"Say, where are we?"

They heard someone chewing in the background.

"And what's that noise?"

They turned around, and were surprised to see Lo sitting there, at a cart, stuffing a forkful of lobster meat into her mouth. The remains of an opened lobster sat to her left, while three fresh, unopened ones laid on another plate to her right. Lo stopped chewing when she realized that she was on camera with food in her mouth.

She then shrugged her shoulders, and continued eating anyway.

"At least they found Lo," Emma said in relief from the stage as the feed from backstage was turned off. "Good to know."

"Especially since now we can focus on a more gripping topic. Like Jonesy and Nikki."

Another chair had been found for Nikki, who was now sitting next to Jonesy with her arms crossed over her chest.

"You don't have to be here," Jonesy told her, as he sweated heavily.

"You know, Jonesy. I hate the fact that you've been dodging me every time I've asked about you and Courtney! Especially since the day in question she was in Toronto, you were double dating with me since that was **ALSO** the day I returned home for the first time after moving away!"

Everyone else in the theater let loose an audible gasp.

"I thought you were done with the gawking," Nikki said to Jonesy. "Then I find out you were hitting on Courtney! Ugh! What do you see in her? She's got a stick so far up her..."

"As your boyfriend," Jonesy cut her off, "I just want to say that it's not my fault! She seduced me."

"She **SEDUCED** you? I find that hard to believe!"

"Have you **SEEN** the way her hips sway when she moves?"

"Oh, what, so you like it when you watch her way walk away from behind, but you don't feel the same way when I do it?"

Trent winced. "Ooh. Jonesy just walked into a mine field."

"That's not what I meant, Nikki! I meant that she's got nice legs."

"Oh, so you're a leg guy now?"

Emma frowned. "Ouch. And he just stepped on one."

"No! It's just the way she carries herself! The way she played hard to get, as if she wanted to look unimpressed but when in fact she..."

Nikki growled angrily.

"And his remains just became scattered in the wind," commented Jonesy. "What a jerk."

"Oh," Caitlin said worriedly. "I don't like where this is going."

Nikki looked as if she was ready to burst. Trent and Emma needed to defuse the situation, and fast.

"Say," Trent spoke up. "Why don't we take a look at that video footage, shall we?"

"Um," Emma said in hesitation, "are you sure that's a good idea?"

"Of course! You want to hear the nine reasons why?"

"Not... really."

"Roll the footage, guys!"

* * *

><p>In front of The Big Squeeze, Courtney had just walked up to the group with Jonesy.<p>

"You guys remember Courtney, right?"

Jen huffed. "Yeah. I do."

Courtney walked over to make up with Jen. "Sorry about what happened in Florida. Nothing personal, right?"

"Well, I guess."

Jude gasped. "Don't tell me, dude! You're going on a da-"

Jonesy quickly kick Jude in the shin to shut him up.

"**OW!** Dude!"

"Not cool," an unimpressed Wyatt commented.

"Jonesy," Courtney shot him an odd look. "What's going on? I thought the reason I had to fly out here, in person, was that you wanted me to show you how to properly invest in your winnings!"

"What investing?" Caitlin asked from behind the counter. "He spent, like, half of it within a week after we got back! The only reason he hasn't spent all of it yet is because his parents made him put the rest in his bank account!"

"Caitlin!"

"Oops! Sorry, Jonesy! I didn't mean to say that out loud! At least Courtney doesn't know she's here because you wanted to go on a date with her!"

"**WHAT?**" screeched Courtney.

"**CAITLIN!**" shouted Jonesy.

"Oops! I wasn't supposed to say that out loud, either, huh?"

"I'm spending nearly a grand round-trip, out of my own pocket, because you wanted to go out with me?"

* * *

><p>"If that wasn't complicated enough," noted Trent, "then Nikki showed up."<p>

* * *

><p>"Oh, I'm so glad to see you!" Nikki said as she gave Jonesy a hug, and then a kiss on the lips.<p>

"Me too, babe. So, what do you say we make up on lost make-out time?"

With that, Jonesy and Nikki walked off. Jonesy looked back at his friends, who knew what was going on but were not saying anything. For now.

* * *

><p>Nikki glared at Jonesy.<p>

"Look, Nik, I can explain!"

"But things didn't go as planned for the two-timer," Emma continued, somewhat impartially.

* * *

><p>Jonesy and Courtney were sitting at a table at Grind Me.<p>

"When are you going to get it through your thick skull that I'm not interested?"

"I dunno," Jonesy smirked. "Maybe I won't until you give me a kiss to show your intentions."

"A kiss, huh? You want a kiss? **FINE!**"

"What? Really?"

Courtney nodded. "Now, close your eyes."

Jonesy complied, closing his eyes, puckering his lips, and leaning forward. Courtney quietly got up out of her seat, grabbed a kiwi, dolled it up with mocha-colored lipstick, and then pressed it against Jonesy's lips. Jonesy grabbed a hold, none the wiser, and started tonguing it. Courtney quietly fake-gagged upon seeing it. Once he was done, she quickly grabbed a hold of the kiwi and tossed it over her head and into a nearby trash can, all before Jonesy could open his eyes.

"Wow! That... that was great! Only... I don't quite remember the back of your head being so pointy."

"Really? You thought it was great?"

"Yeah..."

"Even though you were actually making out with a kiwi and not me?"

"I thought you just forgot to put on lip gloss, that's all. No matter, I still see you dig me!"

"**OOH! THAT IS IT!**"

Courtney picked up her medium-sized coffee and turned it upside down, pouring the nearly-full cup's contents completely into Jonesy's lap.

"**AAAAAAAAAHHHHHH! MY KIWIS!**"

"This is the last time I'm gonna say it, Mister Clueless! **I HAVE NEVER, EVER HAD THE HOTS FOR YOU! EVER!**"

With that, Courtney walked out of the cafe. Jonesy was biting his lower lip and grabbing himself down there, as a tear leaked from his eyes.

"Mommy..."

* * *

><p>A little later, Jonesy was walking up to Nikki, who was sitting in a booth at the Soft Rock Café.<p>

"About time! Wait, what happened to you?"

She was pointing out how awkwardly he was walking.

"Um... I ran into a table."

"You... ran into a table?"

Nikki laughed.

"What? A guy can't run into a table?"

* * *

><p>Back live, Nikki was laughing once more.<p>

"I have to admit, that **WAS** a funny excuse."

"So," Jonesy started to relax a bit, "I take it you're not mad anymore?"

"I'm not mad at Courtney, because she convinced me she wants nothing to do with you."

"And what about me?"

"Well... I... I guess I'm not mad at you anymore, either."

Jonesy paused. "What? Really?"

"Yeah. I'm still not happy that you hit on her. But, I'm willing to forgive you. Just this once."

"Oh, Nikki!"

Jonesy wrapped his arms around Nikki in thanks.

"You're the best girlfriend ever!"

"You know it. And better remember it... I won't be so kind next time."

"Awwww..." cooed Emma. "You guys made up!"

"Yeah!" clapped Caitlin, in relief.

"That was the most beautiful thing ever," said Tyler, as he dried his eyes with his sleeves.

Next to him, Wipeout pulled out a handkerchief and handed it to Tyler.

"Uh," Emma lifted a finger, curiously.

"Where did you guys come from?" asked Trent.

"You need a few more panelists," Tyler said, "so we volunteered our services!"

Wipeout nodded. Emma was about to say something, but then she heard someone communicating with her in her earpiece - which both Trent and Sierra also heard through theirs.

"I'm being told we're out of time," Emma repeated the message aloud.

"**NO!**" screamed Sierra. "My time with Cody can't be over!"

"It might not be..."

Yet another person had appeared on stage.

"Ladies and gentlemen," stated Trent, introducing the newcomer. "The show's executive producer, Jacob Milligan!"

"Thank you, Trent," he said appreciatively. "Before we end this special, I've got one last surprise for you all. I want to thank you all for actually making it here, so... I want you all to look under your seats."

They all complied, and most of them - well, all those who were there at the start of the show - were surprised to find, taped to the underside of their seats...

"A plane ticket?" Caitlin said, holding it up.

"This is a one-way ticket... for **LONDON**?" gasped Cody.

"That's right!" exclaimed Mr. Milligan. "Trent, Emma, Jonesy, Cody, Sierra, Caitlin, and Kelly... you have all been invited to participate in the upcoming reality series, 'Fresh from England,' which takes you at to London to compete like Olympians, for a chance to see Olympians compete at the Summer Games!"

"We're spending the summer in London! **EEEEEEE!**" squealed Sierra.

Nikki, Tyler, and Wipeout lowered their heads in disappointment.

"I have three more tickets that I was going to give to Lo and The Clones, but since they can't be bothered to come out and claim them..."

Mr. Milligan proceeded to hand out those three tickets to Nikki, Tyler, and Wipeout.

"You mean it?" Nikki looked at the man for clarification. "We're going to London?"

"Alright!" Tyler pumped his fists up and down. "A chance for redemption after my burn out in Vancouver! Awesome!"

Wipeout started dancing in glee. Mr. Milligan exited stage right.

"Wow!" exclaimed Emma. "We're going to London for the Olympics! I can't wait for summer to get here!"

"Me too, Emma," added Trent. "Hopefully we'll have many more of our friends - and enemies - there with us as well! Until then, though, we're out of time!"

"I'm Emma!"

"And I'm Trent! Thanks for watching the 'Fresh Challenge' reunion! See you across the pond this summer!"

The audience cheered as the ten invitees to London began openly speculating on what to look forward to in only a few months time...

**The End**

**Author's Notes:**  
>So, not your typical reunion special, but it ended with a big announcement! That's right, folks, it's almost time for the Olympics, and the animated casts of Fresh TV are getting in on the action with the sequel to "Fresh from Canada," "Fresh from England!" And guess what, you control who makes the cast (in addition to the ten early entrants as shown in this special)!<p>

Visit this link (www[dot]misterpoll[dot]com/polls/552491) to vote for whom you want to see in the show! All of the teenagers from "6teen," "Stoked," and all four seasons of "Total Drama" are eligible. Yes, that includes Season Four, even though as of this writing I haven't seen any of it. I tentatively will open nominations to that cast, but I haven't made a decision whether or not to guarantee their entry. If you nominate a character from that season, please make sure to avoid spoilers when explaining why you've chosen him/her.

The poll will only be open for a few weeks, or until I go a few days without receiving any new votes. Only I know how big the final cast will actually be, but still, if you want to see your favorite characters for sure, vote them in! I implore you, especially if you're a longtime reader of mine and are suggesting someone I would not normally consider on my own.

Also, don't forget to leave a review, and I'll see you in a few months for "Fresh from Europe!"


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